The Ballad of Heidi Trumbauer
by weezerz2490
Summary: On that day, humanity remembered... The dread that was a life under their rule, the humiliation, of being caged like birds… There was raised a great noise, the ravens wheeled, the eagle was eager for corpses... There was clamor on earth as the blue-eyed maiden shed crimson tears as red as her hair.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This will be a mostly OC-centric story based on the manga and anime. I'll be using the names from the anime because they're what I'm most familiar with. I own nothing but my OCs.  
P.S. The type of ballad referenced on the title is meant to be like the heroic songs of old, not a romance ballad (LOL).

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1**

* * *

_On that day, humanity remembered.  
The dread… that was a life under their rule…  
The humiliation… of being caged like birds…_

* * *

**845  
Inside the Wall of Maria**

White clouds reflected in the blue eyes of a ten-year-old girl with bright red hair as she gazed up at the equally blue sky above while the flock of white geese she was herding grazed in the grass and engaged in quiet conversation in the back ground.

"Ah." She breathed softly when a flock of wild geese entered her field of vision. She knew from watching the birds in the sky that the vast body of blue above them must extend well beyond the wall. She wondered what else was out there and why her geese never tried to take to the sky. Beyond the occasional flapping, they never seemed to use their wings. Didn't they want to fly too? It seemed like such a waste. If she had been born with wings, she would definitely use them…

Her daydreaming was interrupted when she felt a gentle tug on one of her braided pigtails. She glanced down and saw that her younger cousin was holding onto it.

"What are you doing, Jacob?" She asked curiously.

"Ah!" The six-year-old gasped upon realizing he had been caught, quickly letting go. "Sorry, Heidi… It's just, your hair is so red… I thought it would be hot…" He explained, feeling a little embarrassed. The way it shined in the sun reminded him of the glow of a burning ember. "It's so pretty that before I knew what I was doing… I touched it." Heidi stared at him for a moment in astonishment before pulling him into a hug, smiling happily.

"That's okay, you can touch it as many times as you want!" She told him. This was why she loved her little cousin. Everyone teased her about her abnormally bright red hair. He was the only one who ever complimented it. She liked her red hair because she had inherited it from her father. Her mother didn't like to talk about him, so she didn't know how he had died, but Heidi knew her mother loved him, because she would catch her staring longingly at his picture when she thought no one was looking. "Come on." Heidi said as she helped Jacob to his feet and brushed him off while he leaned on his crutch. "It's about time we headed back." She grabbed her crook and gathered up the geese to bring them home.

The stubborn birds weren't too thrilled to leave the shade of the tree they had been resting under, but they eventually complied after several honks of protest and one or two escape attempts. As they herded the geese down the road and over the bridge, approaching the gate between the main part of the Wall of Maria and the loop around Shiganshina, they heard some familiar voices. Apparently, her uncle's group was guarding the gate today. Heidi deadpanned when she saw what they were up to. Not only were they drinking while on duty, but they were gambling too.

"Well, Karl? Are you going to fold or not?" One of the other guards asked her uncle challengingly.

"I think I'll…" Karl Stark started with a smirk, but his expression fell when he noticed the extremely unimpressed looks his niece and son were giving him. "Oh! Heidi, Jacob… What are you two doing here?" He asked, quickly hiding his hand behind his back, as if that could save him.

"Working. Shouldn't you be doing the same?" Heidi answered bluntly, causing him to twitch guiltily. "You're a soldier, but you're so unprepared. A real emergency isn't going to wait for you to be ready before it happens. And you know Auntie hates it when you come home smelling like alcohol. If she finds out you're gambling again after losing one of our best geese in a bet the other day…"

"Ah! Alright, Alright!" Karl said quickly, throwing down his hand. "There, I quit! And I'll start drinking water! Just don't tell Lana or your mother, okay?" He pleaded with a nervous smile. His wife and sister-in-law could be really scary when they were angry.

"Haha!" One of the other soldiers laughed. "First Hannes gets scolded, now you? I can't believe you guys are taking these kids so seriously! Don't tell me you're scared of your wife? If she starts nagging you, just tell her to be quiet and make you a sandwich. A woman's place is in the kitchen."

"Right, I'll be sure to tell your wife you said that." Karl deadpanned, knowing full well his wife wasn't the type to sit back and take that kind of crap either.

"!" The rude soldier flinched in alarm, earning a laugh from the others.

"You guys are totally whipped." One of the other men commented with a smirk.

"Anyway… I won't rat you out as long as you behave yourself from now on." Heidi told her uncle, giving some of the geese a little nudge to get them moving again. "Come on, Jacob. Let's stop by the well and water the geese on our way home."

"Kids these days…" Hannes said as they watched they watched the children leave, shaking his head.

"Yeah, even my six-year-old son was giving me a look… As an adult, I feel kind of sad." Karl added with a heavy sigh, dumping out the beer in his cup. They used to be so cute, following him around and reacting to everything he said as if it were gospel… Why did they have to grow up so fast?

RING~! RING~!

"Oh, the Survey Corps must have returned!" Heidi remarked when they heard the ringing of the town bell. "We should move off of the main road, or we'll be in their way. Do you want to see them?" She asked Jacob as she guided the geese into a side alley. The adults who had gathered to watch the Survey Corps' return moved aside to let them through in order to avoid getting nipped by the geese.

"But won't you get in trouble?" He asked. For some reason, his aunt Lena didn't like it when Heidi watched the Survey Corps, even though she was fine with them hanging around members of the Garrison, like his father.

"Hmm... That's true." Heidi mused thoughtfully, debating whether or not it was worth the risk, when a commotion started further down the road.

"Moses! Moses!" An old woman cried out. The two children leaned out to get a better view as the company of tired and wounded soldiers halted.

"!" Heidi gasped and her eyes widened when she saw the terrible state they were in. There were so few of them left…

"Heidi, where are the rest of them?" Jacob asked innocently. Heidi knew the missing were all probably dead or eaten, but she didn't want to tell him that. Instead, she held his free hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze.

"Excuse me, I don't see my son Moses anywhere…" The old woman continued hesitantly, praying her worst fears hadn't come true. "Do you know where he is?" She asked the commander, Keith Shadis, grabbing on to his green cloak. The commander and his men looked disturbed by her question.

"This is Moses' mother… Go get it." Shadis quietly ordered the soldier next to him. With a heavy heart, the soldier did as he was ordered and went to retrieve a small bundle from the wagon. He handed it to his superior, and Commander Shadis placed the bundle in the old woman's arms.

"… Uh?" The old woman gasped, going pale at the sight of the blood on the rag it was wrapped in. She looked between the bundle and her arms and the grim-faced soldiers standing before her. She didn't understand… She didn't _want_ to understand… But she had to know. She began unwrapping the bundle to see what it contained with her own eyes. And then, she froze.

"!" Heidi's eyes widened in shock as she realized what she was holding. Disturbed, Heidi quickly covered Jacob's eyes, hoping he hadn't seen it. Tears formed in the old woman's eyes as she stared down at the severed hand that used to belong to her son. The old woman quickly covered it again and clutched it close to her chest, trembling.

"That's it. That's all we were able to recover." Shadis explained with regret.

"…Uhh… Waaaaaah! _Waaaaaah!_!" Moses' mother screamed, wailing like a banshee, as she sunk to her knees in grief. Commander Shadis kneeled down in front of her, as if he wanted to comfort her but didn't know what to say. Jacob tightened his grip on Heidi's hand as she held him. It was heartbreaking to watch. "But… my son…" Moses' mother sobbed. "My son… My son has been useful, hasn't he…?"

"…_!_!" Shadis gasped, looking unsettled as a bead of sweat slid down the side of his face.

"_It doesn't have to be anything outstanding!_!" She yelled desperately. "_He contributed! His death contributed towards humanity's retaliation, yes!_!_?_" All of the blood seemed to drain from Shadis' face and the faces of all the soldiers behind them. Almost every member of the Survey Corps had the same mortified looks in their eyes.

"Of course…!" Shadis began to respond, but then his voice caught in his throat. Something seemed to break inside of him. "… No…" He said quietly. "On this latest scouting mission… this time again… we…_!_!" The commander grit his teeth in frustration. _"It was all for naught! We didn't make any progress at all!"_ He confessed remorsefully, stunning everyone as Moses' mother stared at him in shock. _"My incompetence has done nothing but needlessly send soldiers to their deaths…!_!_ We couldn't find out ANYTHING about them!_!"

"…" The children stared in shock as the adults began to whisper amongst themselves. Heidi furrowed her brow and spared one last glance at the defeated soldiers before turning away.

"Let's go, Jacob." She said quietly, leading him by the hand as she herded the geese through the alley. The two children walked in silence. Even the geese were unusually quiet.

"… Heidi… If it's so dangerous, why do people still go outside?" Jacob asked eventually as they came to the public well that was on their way to the house. "Wouldn't it be better if we all stayed inside, where it's safe?" Heidi paused for a moment as she reached out to lift the lid.

"Maybe…" She said, uncovering the well so she could lower the bucket. "I've heard a lot of adults say the soldiers in the Survey Corps are all a bunch of idiots, but… did you know, Jacob, that bunch of idiots is also called 'the hope of mankind'. They represent those of us who haven't given up. These walls might be a fortress built for our protection, but I think they're also a cage." Heidi added as she watched the bucket sink into the deep darkness of the well. "No one's allowed to leave, and showing interest in the outside world is taboo. We're like a bunch of birds who've had their wings clipped." She felt a pull against the crank as the rope became taught from the weight of the full bucket and began reeling it back up. "But not them. The soldiers in the Survey Corps are the only ones allowed to see the outside world… that means they got to see something no else has. They wear 'the wings of freedom'. Don't you think that's kind of cool?" She asked her cousin as she held the bucket of freshly drawn water and turned to face him with a smile. The sunlight sparkled on the surface of the water and reflected in her blue eyes, giving them a magical glow. In that moment, Jacob could see that Heidi felt like she might be an 'idiot' too. She looked like she could fly away at any moment. A sudden feeling of anxiety flooded him, and he threw himself at her.

"Jacob!" Heidi exclaimed in surprise, dropping the bucket, as her threw his arms around her. It hit the ground with a clatter and splashed the geese, much to their delight. "What's wrong?" She asked, concerned when she saw the look on his face. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Please don't leave, Heidi!" Jacob pleaded anxiously, sniffing, as he buried his head in her skirt.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Heidi asked, taken aback. "D-Don't worry!" She sputtered when she felt her skirt starting to get damp from his tears, hugging him back. "I'm not going anywhere, Jacob. I won't leave you alone."

"Hey, look! It's the goose girl with the red hair!" An all too familiar voice called out, interrupting their moment. Heidi frowned in annoyance as she looked up and saw that Peter and his lackeys sauntered over with plenty of attitude. "Look at that red hair. What do you have to eat to get hair that red? I bet it got like that because you eat a lot of tomatoes! That must be why you have a head like a tomato!" He taunted her with an obnoxious grin on his face, earning a laugh from his equally obnoxious friends.

"Tomato-head! Tomato-head!" The other three boys chanted mockingly, parroting their leader.

"Come on, Jacob." Heidi said calmly, taking him by the hand to lead him away as she grabbed her crook, preparing to leave.

"Eh?" Jacob said, furrowing his brow slightly. "But they…"

"Just ignore them." Heidi said firmly as they continued their annoying chant. Couldn't they at least come up with something new? 'Tomato-head' was getting really old. "They're not worth getting in trouble. Besides, we need to get home. The sun's starting to set."

"That's right, run along home, losers!" Peter called after them with a smirk.

"Oh, that's right, Jacob can't run because he's a useless cripple!" One of his followers added. Heidi stopped in her tracks. Peter and the other two boys paled. _That idiot…!_!

_"Y-You id—!_!" Peter started to yell, but it was too late. Heidi was already charging at them. By bringing Jacob into it, he had sealed their fate.

"I'll make _you_ a cripple, you useless jerk_!_!" She shouted angrily as she used her crook to yank their feet out from under them to knock them on their backs and keep them from running away while she taught them a lesson.

"W-Wait_!_! I thought you said they weren't worth it_!_?" Jacob reminded her. It was really rare to see his kind and gentle cousin lose her temple like that. Heidi stopped, mid swing. Peter and his little gang looked like they were about to wet themselves. The geese had started to make a fuss.

"… They aren't." She said, glaring down at them, as she tightened her grip on the crook. "But standing up for you is." She finished resolutely, about to follow through with her attack, when the ground suddenly shook beneath them.

"_!_!_?_" All of the children cried out in alarm.

"What was that_!_?" Jacob asked, leaning against his crutch to steady himself. He had almost been knocked off of his feet! The geese honked and shrieked as they flapped their wings, clearly frightened by whatever it was.

"Was that an earthquake_!_?" Peter shouted. "Hey, Heidi!"

"The people over there…" Heidi said, pointing down the side road to some people standing on the main road to the gate. "… Are all staring at the sky."

"Huh? The Sky…?" Peter asked skeptically, furrowing his brow, as they all looked up in the same direction. Their eyes widened in shock and horror when they spotted it; the giant, red hand gripping the top of the wall. "It can't be…_!_!" He yelled in disbelief.

'That… _That wall is fifty meters high!_!' Heidi thought. "I-It's… one of _them_…" She said aloud, stunned, as a giant, skinless head raised itself out of the clouds of steam billowing up from behind the wall. "… _a titan_."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2**

* * *

_There was raised a great noise._  
_The ravens wheeled… the eagle was eager for corpses…_  
_There was clamor on earth as the blue-eyed maiden..._  
_Shed crimson tears… as red as her hair._

* * *

As Heidi and the other children stared up at the monster peeking over the wall at them in mix of terror and awe, the colossal titan raised his massive foot and delivered an explosive kick that shattered the outer gate with enough force to send out a strong shockwave of wind and debris.

"—_!_!" The children cried out in alarm as they braced themselves and covered their ears.

"…Hh_!_?" Heidi gasped as she watched the large chunks of steaming rock fly through they air, crashing into various homes and businesses. One of them even sailed right over their heads.

"T-The wall… It's blown a hole in the wall…" Peter stuttered as he and his friends stood frozen in fear.

CLATTER!

"_!_?" They all jumped at noise Heidi made emptying out a wheelbarrow that had been left out in front of one of the neighboring houses. "Hey, what are you—"

"Get in!" She told Jacob in a tone that left no room for argument. "Hurry_!_!"

"What about the geese_!_?" He asked nervously.

"They'll be fine_!_!" Heidi said. They were in less danger than they were at the moment. Titans only ate humans!

"Hey, you're not seriously gonna just take that, are you?" Peter asked incredulously as he watched her help her cousin into the barrow. Did she even know who that thing belonged to? "Hey! Where are you going, Tomato-head_!_!_?_" He shouted as Heidi started wheeling her cousin away as fast as she could.

"To find our moms!" She shouted back without stopping. "And you'd better do the same! We've gotta get out of here before more titans show up_!_!"

"Ah!" Peter gasped in realization as people started to scream. "We gotta get the hell outta here_!_!"

"But over there…" One of the other boys said, too scared to move, as he stared in the direction She was running away in. "The houses over there were crushed by the debris from the wall…"

Heidi panted as she ran she ran through the streets pushing Jacob in the wheelbarrow. It was tough, but easier and faster than carrying him herself or letting him walk on his own. After all, Jacob couldn't run.

'There's still a chance our house is okay!' She thought as they passed the butcher shop they usually sold their geese to, which had been demolished by debris from the wall. 'Mom should be all right, because she was out fitting a client for a dress, but Auntie…"

"Wah_!_!" Jacob cried out as they passed what was left of a woman who had been destroyed by another piece of debris, feeling sick. Heidi grit her teeth, keeping her eyes focused on the path ahead of her as she navigated through the panicking mob that was filling the streets. The wheel on the barrow squealed as she turned the corner and screeched to a halt. The two children stared at the scene that greeted them in disbelief, horrified to find that their home had been crushed. "No…" Jacob cried as they stared at the most painful and heart-wrenching sight of all. Jacob's mother and Heidi's aunt, Lana Stark's head was peering up at them from the ground with lifeless eyes. Her neck had been broken when the top of their front door's frame slammed down on top of it. "… It's a lie_!_! My mom… _My momma can't be dead!_!" He screamed as tears streamed began to stream down their faces.

'This can't be happening…' Heidi thought as she kept holding onto the wheelbarrow, shell-shocked. The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her.

_"Heidi!_!" Lena Trumbauer yelled, slapping her daughter in the face to snap her out of it.

_"!_!" Heidi gasped, staring up at her mother with tears in her eyes.

"Pull yourself together_!_!" Lena said sternly. She was trying to be brave for her daughter and nephew, but there was no hiding the fear in her eyes. "Titans are flooding the town_!_! We have to go now, or we'll all die_!_!_!_" She urged the children, grabbing onto the wheelbarrow's handles from behind Heidi to help her push, turning it back around. "Let's go_!_! We need to get to the inner gate_!_!"

Tears continued to stream down Heidi's face as she ran with her mother while poor Jacob sobbed uncontrollably over his mother's death in the wheelbarrow. The ground shook beneath them again. Lena glanced back over her shoulder and gasped in alarm.

"Don't look_!_!" She shouted as Heidi started to turn her head. "Keep your eyes forward and watch the road! Once you get through the inner gate, head straight for the canal. And no matter what happens… _Don't look back_."

"… Eh?" Heidi said, surprised when her mother suddenly let go of the handles, and she felt her warmth on her back fade away as the ground shook again. Despite her mother's warning and the feeling of dread creeping over her, Heidi glanced back as she kept running forward. Her eyes widened when she saw that her mother had stopped running and turned around to face the titan chasing them. Lena knew it was suicidal, but she hoped that by sacrificing herself, the children might have a chance to get away. For a moment, time seemed to slow down to Heidi, but even though she could see everything happening clearly, she was powerless to stop it. Before Heidi could even begin to slow down, the titan took hold of her mother. Heidi screamed as tears rolled down her mother's face. _"Noooooo!_!_!_"

_CRUNCH._

Heidi's heart stopped for beat when the titan bit her mother's head off right in front of her, and something deep inside of her snapped. Heidi's pupil's contracted.

_"UAAAAAAH!_!_!_" She roared with anguished fury, launching herself at her mother's murderer as crimson tears formed in her eyes. She leaped high into the air, punching the 5m titan hard enough to break its jaw. The titan dropped her mother's corpse as it stumbled backwards. Heidi landed clumsily on the ground with a thud and a sickening crack, but quickly picked herself up and rushed towards the titan again.

SLASH!

Before she could attack again, the titan was already falling to the ground. A chunk of flesh had been carved from the back of its neck in an instant by the stern-faced man who landed on his feet in front of Heidi. He was wearing the green cloak of the Survey Corps. He thrust out a hand against the charging girl's forehead, holding her back as she tried to push forward with a snarl. His elbow bent. This little girl was abnormally strong… Were those tears of blood? She didn't seem to care at all that one of her arms was broken. Right now, this girl was more animal than human. She was just a wounded beast lashing out at whatever came near her.

"Hey, brat. You're a hundred years too early to take me on." The dark-haired man stated coolly, though he doubted she could hear him in her current state, delivering a swift punch to her diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her.

"…_!_!" Jacob gasped as her body went limp and collapsed against him. "Y-You… You killed her_!_!" He cried in alarm, almost numb with shock from seeing his aunt's headless corpse and watching his cousin go crazy.

"Relax. She's just sleeping." The man said unapologetically. If he had left her as she was, she would have gotten herself killed sooner or later.

"Jacob_!_! Heidi_!_!" Karl Stark shouted from the roof top of the neighboring house, panting, as he repelled down to them, embracing his son. "Thank goodness! I've been looking everywhere for…" He trailed off when he noticed how strangely limp and silent Heidi was, and his blood ran cold when he noticed the headless corpse next to her and the Survey Corps member holding her was wearing one of his sister-in-law's favorite dresses. "Is that…?"

"Daddy_!_!" Jacob cried in relief, throwing his arms around his father's neck. "A titan got Auntie Lena, and… Momma also…" Karl froze when he realized what his hysterical son was trying to say. No… _Not his Lana!_!_!_ Karl grit his teeth and held his son tighter.

"Hey!" The Survey Corpsman, who had evidently saved the children said firmly, getting his attention. "If you know these kids, then I'll leave them with you." He said, dumping the unconscious Heidi into the wheelbarrow with Jacob. "Get them out of here. I don't have time to babysit." He added, using his 3DMG to hop onto the next roof so he could run off and get back to killing titans. Karl grit his teeth and let go of his son so he could grab the handles of the wheelbarrow and pushed, making a beeline for the inner gate. At the very least, he needed to save these two, or he would never be able to face their mothers in the next world!

When Heidi regained consciousness, they had already passed through the inner gate and we heading for the canal. She winced at the pain shooting through the fractured bone in her arm.

"Wha… What happened?" She asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Where's my mom?" Jacob and her uncle stared at her in astonishment.

"You… You don't remember?" Karl asked. Did she hit her head? How was he supposed to tell her?

"Heidi…" Jacob sniffed, clearing his runny nose. "A-Auntie Lena…"

"Didn't make it." Karl finished grimly, deciding she didn't need to know the gruesome details. "You don't remember because you fell and hit your head when your arm was clipped by a piece of debris. Don't try to think about it now, just focus on surviving and taking care of Jacob. That's what your mother would want." She was better off not knowing. He had heard everything from Jacob. He only wished his son could forget everything, too. Jacob stared up at his father in confusion. Why was he lying? "Hannes!" Karl shouted when he spotted some familiar faces in the crowd it looked like Hannes was taking Eren and Mikasa to the ferries. Judging by the look on the children's faces, they had been through as much trauma as his son and niece. They were just staring off into the distance, shell-shocked. "Perfect timing! Can you make sure these two get on the next boat out of here?"

"Eh_!_?" Jacob yelled, startled. "You're not coming with us_!_?" Heidi frowned and bit her lip, afraid they were about to lose the only family they had left.

"I'm sorry…" Karl apologized to them as he scooped up his son, holding him tightly. "But I think it's time I earned my paycheck. There are still other people inside the wall with the titans." He was a soldier. It was his duty to protect the public. Hannes grit his teeth and looked away, ashamed. He wished he had as much courage as his comrade. "Listen, Jacob." Karl whispered in his son's ear so no one else would hear. A long time ago, Heidi's father told me that if she ever cried tears of blood like that, and she couldn't remember what she had done, it would be dangerous to try to force her. Don't say anything about what happened to Heidi." He finished urgently before looking at his niece. "Heidi, I know this is sudden, but you have a grandfather living inside Rose Wall, near Dauper Village." He told her, raising his voice so everyone could hear. "You probably don't remember, but you and your mother used to live with him when you were a baby." Before her father died, and Lena moved back to her home town to be near her own family. "If something happens to me, you need to find him. Take care of Jacob for me." He said, handing his crying son over to Hannes since her arm was broken. They couldn't take the wheelbarrow on the boat, it would take up too much room.

"I will." Heidi promised as hot, clear tears began to stream down her face, washing away the blood stains. "But you have to come back! We'll definitely wait for you, so come as soon as you can!" She said determinedly, clenching her fist.

"Yeah, it's a date." Her uncle said with soft smile, ruffling her hair one last time before turning and running off to join the fight.

"Come on." Hannes said. "Let's get you kids on the boat." He needed to hurry up and join Karl and the other soldiers. It was time he earned his paycheck, too. He escorted the four children to the front of the line and had a few words with the soldier in charge of letting people on. The children all looked so pitiful, he couldn't say no. Then Hannes set Jacob down, and Heidi let him lean on her and supported him with her good arm as they carefully made their way up the ramp and onto the boat behind Eren, who was being led by Mikasa.

"This can't be real…" A man whimpered as they made their way through the cowering refugees already aboard, looking for a safe place to sit.

"Please, God… Please, God.. Please, God…" A woman prayed over and over again.

"The boat is filled to capacity_!_! We're gonna leave now_!_!" One of the soldiers onboard the boat announced, sending the people still waiting into panic.

"No! Please! At least let our children on!"

Jacob clung to Heidi, burying his face against her shoulder as she wrapped her good arm around him, holding him close, as she squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to look.

_"We can't afford anymore, it's dangerous! Close the gate!_!"

"What are you talking about? There are still plenty of people left inside_!_!"

_"If this wall is broken, it won't end with just one city overrun by the titans!_! _Humankind's allotted territory would shrink all the way to the next wall!_!"

"There's no point in watching individuals get slaughtered right in front of us_!_!"

"_Close the gate!_! _Move it!_!"

"The titans are literally knocking on our doorstep_!_!"

_"Intercept them!_!"

_"_What is that thing_!_!_? _It's completely unaffected by our weapons_!_!"

_CRRACK—BOOM!_!

_"!_?" Heidi opened her eyes again just in time to see a large titan come crashing through the inner gate, creating another huge gap in the wall as their boat traveled down the canal. The titan slid to a stop and exhaled a jet of scalding steam.

_"The gate…!_!"

_"Wall Maria…!"_

"They've busted through it…_!_?"

_"This is the end… Humanity is finished… The titans will devour us all…"_

Tears streamed down Heidi's face as it hit her that she would never be able to return home. Her mother was gone… her aunt was gone… and her uncle… She tightened her grip on her cousin. No! She didn't want to think about it, but whatever happened… She would _definitely_ protect Jacob_!_! She wasn't losing anyone else_!_!_!_

"I will wipe them out_!_!" Eren said suddenly, causing Heidi and Mikasa to glance at him. Tears flowed from his eyes, and his face was twisted with hate as he stood up, trembling with rage. _"I'll erase them from this world… until not a single one remains…!_!"

Within hours of the fall of Shiganshina on the south side of Wall Maria, news of the incident had reached every city inside human territory. The same year, the central government made the decision to withdraw all of humanity's domain behind Wall Rose. An estimated 10,000 people were eaten by titans during this time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Decision**

* * *

_Grief and sorrow consume._  
_But hope has not died…_  
_Lost and displaced, the maiden journeys to mountains…_  
_Challenged to grow in wisdom and strength,_  
_A child becomes a woman._

* * *

"How is your arm?" Mikasa asked as the four of them made their way to the place where they had heard they were handing out food to the refugees.

"It's better now that it's been treated…" Heidi replied. But it still hurt. She and Jacob had decided to stay close to Eren and Mikasa. In Heidi's experience, most adults didn't really listen to children, so it would be good to have one around to help negotiate. Even though they barely knew their new friends, Eren's father, Dr. Yeager had been treating Jacob ever since he was small. They didn't know where the doctor was at the moment, but if he was alive, he was bound to find them sooner or later. Heidi glanced down at Jacob, who was clinging to her good arm as if his life depended on it while she supported him. She was worried about him. He hadn't spoken a word since they arrived in Trost… She hoped her uncle would get there soon. She didn't think Jacob could take losing another parent.

"Apparently this was their food storehouse." Mikasa said as they entered the building. "They've gathered all the boat refugees here." The courtyard was already packed with people waiting in line for food.

"Hey, get in line, will ya_!_?" They heard someone shout angrily. The children looked over and saw two men scuffling with each other near one of the lines for bread.

"Shut up! I ain't eaten anything since last night!" The other man shouted back.

'And these are the adults…' Heidi thought with a frown. It looked like things were only going to get harder from here on in…

"We can't say we've survived just yet." Mikasa said, echoing her own thoughts.

"Eren! Mikasa!" Armin called out as he ran over to them, carrying several loaves of bread.

"Armin!" Eren said, surprised he had managed to find them so easily. He hadn't realized they had been on the same boat, but Armin had seen them get on, and then he spotted them again while he was waiting in line for food with his grandfather.

"Here! Just in time!" Armin said brightly. "My grandpa got us some by saying it was for children! There's enough for you, too, Heidi and Jacob!" He had never actually spoken to them before, but there weren't that many redheads in town, so Heidi was pretty famous amongst the children of Shiganshina. And Jacob was too, by association.

"Thank you." The girls said, accepting the bread gratefully as he handed everyone a small loaf. It was more like a dinner roll, really, but beggars can't be choosers. Heidi was relieved she wouldn't have to resort to fighting any adults in order to feed Jacob. She didn't think that would work out too well with a broken arm, and she was afraid to leave Jacob alone in case he somehow got lost in the crowd and they ended up separated.

The children noticed one of the soldiers was staring at them with an open look of contempt.

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he turned away and stalked off.

"What's his problem?" Eren asked, furrowing his brow.

"You can't blame him. There's probably not enough food to go around." Armin said reasonably. "And that's an entire day's worth. There are just too many refugees. There was already a food shortage going on, plus the people here aren't treated as well as the citizens on the outer wall."

"I see…" Heidi said thoughtfully, staring down at her loaf of bread. There were already more fights breaking out amongst the adults. "We need to be careful."

"Why should we hafta give _our_ food to some lousy outsiders?" They heard the solder who had just been staring at them grumble loudly. "If the Titans got through the wall, they could've at least eaten some more people, if you ask me!"

"!" The children gasped, appalled. Heidi scowled at the callous man as Jacob tightened his grip on her. Eren grit his teeth, seething with anger. He marched forward to confront the bastard.

"Eren!" Armin said.

"This is just gonna make the food shortage even worse." The soldier continued, not caring who heard him.

"Ngh!" Without hesitation, Eren kicked him in the shin.

"Ouch!" The soldier winced in pain, while the man he had been talking to flinched in surprise. "What the hell_!_? You damn kid_!_?" The soldier yelled angrily, punching Eren in the jaw. Eren grunted in pain as he hit the ground, but he wasn't backing down. He wasn't wrong!

"You don't know what it's like!" Eren yelled, glaring at the soldiers. "You've never seen what the titans do to people!"

"!" Heidi winced when she suddenly felt a flash of sharp pain in the back of her head, but it quickly passed.

"I apologize!" Armin said, quickly placing himself between Eren and the angry soldier when he moved to hit his friend again. "He's just hungry and irritable. That's why he so rudely lashed out at an adult…" He explained nervously as the others came over to stand behind him and check on Eren. "I'm very sorry!" Armin said earnestly, bowing to the soldier.

"A lot of people here have had their loved ones eaten by titans." Heidi added grimly. "We're just a bunch of weak kids, but if you're not more careful with your words… You may end up angering someone _really_ dangerous." The soldier grit his teeth and bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of his face as he realized everyone was staring. Just as she had said, a lot of the refugees were glaring dangerously at him.

"Man… It's 'cause of _us _that you guys aren't starving to death, you know!" He grumbled, making a hasty retreat. "Even you kids oughta be thankful to us!"

"Of course!" Armin said, relieved that the soldier had decided to drop it before it escalated into more violence.

"Damn…" Eren cursed in frustration, feeling humiliated. "I refuse to let _them_ take care of me. I'm going back, to Wall Maria! I'm going to destroy every last titan_!_!"

"Eren… You're not being serous, are you?" Armin asked nervously, concerned. Did he realize what he was saying?

"I'm serious!" Eren said hotly, jumping to his feet. "I'm not like those guys who do nothing but act tough inside the walls! I don't need this crap_!_!" He yelled, throwing his bread away.

"Eren!" Armin exclaimed as he fumbled with the bread for a couple of seconds before catching it securely in his hands. "You'll starve to death!"

"Yeah! And don't waste perfectly good food! Even if you don't want it, don't just throw it away like that!" Heidi scolded him. What part of 'food shortage' didn't he understand? Who knows how long the free food would last!

"Doesn't it bother you at all_!_?" Eren demanded incredulously.

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it." Heidi retorted, frowning at his stubbornness. Pride wasn't going to fill their empty stomachs. Right now, survival came first.

"It's because we take everyone's charity that we can't beat the titans_!_!" Eren shouted angrily.

"It's impossible! There _is_ no beating them!" Armin argued earnestly, trying to make him see reason. "All we can do is live inside the walls! If we try anything, we'll die! Just like my mom and dad!"

"So you're just gonna grovel to them, then_!_?" Eren snapped. "That's not shameful to you_!_?"

"There's… There's nothing we can do for now!" Armin yelled, frustrated.

"That's right! It can't be helped at the moment. We're just kids." Heidi said with a frown, wishing he would stop taking his frustration out on them and start being a bit more realistic. She didn't like it either, but she had Jacob to think about.

"That's just an excuse_!_!" Eren snarled. "If you wanna live like livestock forever, go ahead_!_! You weaklings_!_!" The next thing Eren knew, Mikasa's fist was colliding with his face. Her punch hurt even more then the soldier's. Eren hit the ground with a thud.

"If they're weaklings, then so are we." Mikasa told him. It was time for a reality check. "Whether it was running from the titans or fleeing the town, we didn't manage anything on our own. We even had help finding food today. There's no way such powerless people can defeat even a single one of those titans." Eren grit his teeth and scowled as he looked away. "Staying alive is what matters most." Mikasa continued. "Just like your mother said." She took Eren's discarded loaf from Armin and shoved it into the stubborn boy's mouth.

"Mikasa!" Armin said, concerned.

'Good.' Heidi thought. 'You tell him, Mikasa!' Maybe Eren would listen to her.

"You have to eat and stay alive." Mikasa said firmly. Eren tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let him. Eventually Eren gave up and tears began to stream down his face as he realized they were right. It was frustrating to feel so powerless and useless, but they were right…

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard and the familiar rustle of paper was heard as a poorly pinned poster flapped against one of the walls.

"Hm? What's that?" Heidi wondered aloud curiously, pointing at it. She hadn't noticed that before.

"Ah…" Armin said sadly. "That's a list of confirmed casualties…."

"… I'm not sure I want to know, but… I think we need to." Heidi said a little hesitantly, glancing down at Jacob. If her uncle's name wasn't on that list, then they would know that he was still all right. Eren decided he wanted to check it too to make sure his father's name wasn't on it either, so together the five children warily wormed their way through the crowd to read the list. The list wasn't that long, mostly because the world outside Wall Rose was still in chaos. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't see Dr. Grisha Yeager listed among the known dead, but when they saw the horrified expressions on Heidi's and Jacob's faces, their hearts sank.

Right there, just above the names of Lana Stark and Lena Trumbauer, was Karl Stark. There was a symbol next to his name that indicated he had been killed in action. Jacob's knees buckled as tears flowed from his eyes, and Heidi sank with him. Eren and the others didn't know what to do. Jacob was sobbing uncontrollably, and Heidi was clinging desperately to her younger cousin as if she was afraid he might disappear too. It was then that a strange old man approached them. He had wild, pale hair that had an orange-red tinge to it, a scruffy beard, and sharp blue eyes. He was dressed like a mountain man.

"Heidi Trumbauer, right?" The old man asked in a voice that was very deep and rumbly.

"Who want's to know?" Eren asked defiantly, wondering how he knew Heidi. She didn't seem to recognize him.

"Her grandfather, Tollak Trumbauer." The old man retorted bluntly. He had come the moment the news of what had happened reached him. Even though he hadn't seen Heidi since she was an infant, he had recognized her immediately because she was the spitting image of his late son. "Not that it's any business of yours." He added sourly as Heidi glanced up at him in surprise with a tear-stained face. She hadn't expected him to come looking for them on his own. "I'll say this right now: There's no crying in my house. This isn't charity. Everyone has to work and pull their own weight. I don't have time to coddle two useless children while they sit around licking their wounds and feeling sorry for themselves." Tollak stated sternly, looking Heidi straight in the eye as he laid down the law. "Crying won't change anything. And no amount of grieving can bring the dead back. But you're still alive, and that means you can change. So if you're dissatisfied with how things turned out, then instead wasting time sitting here feeling sorry for yourselves, come with me, and I'll teach you how to get stronger." The five children stared up at the tough old man in awe. Whatever else he might be, they could tell this man was a survivor. Heidi glanced at the others, wondering if they would be all right. She didn't want to just leave them after they had helped her and Jacob out so much.

"Don't worry about us." Eren told her.

"That's right, we still have my grandpa and Dr. Yeager." Armin reminded her. Heidi nodded in understanding, wiped her eyes and stood up, pulling Jacob up with her.

"Jacob has trouble walking, so I'll do enough work for the both of us." She said determinedly, furrowing her brow as she held her grandfather's gaze.

"All right." Tollak said after a pause. He turned and started to walk, moving slowly so the two children could keep up as they followed him to their new home.

—∞—

**847  
Cadet Corps, Southern Branch**

Over the course of the following two years, Tollak taught Heidi and Jacob how to hunt and fend for themselves in the mountains outside Dauper Village. In that isolated wilderness, he taught them the stories and songs of old from the outside world that had been passed down through the family via oral tradition for centuries. They were stories of heroes defeating giants and dragons. Stories of the struggles of life and death between humans. Stories of lands of perpetual ice and snow, burning sand, and oceans of salt. Under his guidance, their unrefined souls were beaten and sharpened into blades of unbreakable steel. He pounded all of his knowledge and survival skills into the children, until eventually… they became strong enough in both mind and body to stand tall and hold their heads high through any kind of challenge.

"The 104th Cadet Corps Class entrance ceremony will now begin!" Their instructor announced loudly, stepping forward to introduce himself to latest crop of recruits gathered before him. He looked very different from when he had been the commander of the Survey Corps. Now he was stern-faced with a goatee, and his shaved (or was it bald?) head gleamed in the sun. "You have the misfortune of having me, Keith Shadis, as your commandant! I do _not_ welcome you warmly! In your current state, you'd be nothing but food for the titans! You're mere livestock! You're _less _than livestock! Over the next three years, we're going to train you worthless nothings and teach you how to fight titans! Three years from now, when you come face to face with the titans, will you still be fodder for them_!_? Will you serve as an honorable barrier that protects the king_!_? Or will you be a glorious soldier for humanity that drives the titans out_!_? It's up to you to decide!"

'Yes, I'll be one.' Heidi thought determinedly. 'This time, I'll protect what's important to me without fail! I'm going to join the Survey Corps like my father before me… and earn my own 'wings of freedom'.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Previously:  
**

_"Over the next three years, we're going to train you worthless nothings and teach you how to fight titans!" Commandant Shadis boomed. "Three years from now, when you come face to face with the titans, will you still be fodder for them!? Will you serve as an honorable barrier that protects the king!? Or will you be a glorious soldier for humanity that drives the titans out!? It's up to you to decide!"_

_'Yes, I'll be one.' Heidi thought determinedly. 'This time, I'll protect what's important to me without fail! I'm going to join the Survey Corps like my father before me… and earn my own 'wings of freedom'.'_

* * *

**Chapter 4: One by One**

* * *

"Hey, you!" Shadis shouted brusquely, selecting the blonde boy standing a few rows in front of her for his first victim.

"Sir!" The boy said, snapping to attention as he saluted his superior.

"Who the hell are you_!_?" Shadis demanded.

"Armin Arlelt, from Shiganshina District!" The boy answered.

'Ah, I thought I saw some familiar faces as we lined up…' Heidi thought. So Eren and the others were here, too. She had often wondered how they were doing.

"I see! That's a ridiculous name!" Shadis barked. "Did your parents give it to you_!_?"

"My grandfather did, Sir!" Armin answered dutifully.

"Arlelt! Why are you here_!_?"

"To help humanity achieve victory!"

"That's wonderful to hear! We can feed you to the titans! Third row, about face!" Shadis ordered, placing a large hand on Armin's head to turn him around. Armin was incredibly nervous, but he was surprised when he saw who was standing behind him. He would recognize that bright red hair anywhere. Heidi risked flashing him a small smile to let him know she was glad to see him again while their new commandant moved on to the next person in line.

"Who the hell are you_!_?" He demanded of the taller blonde with shorter hair.

"Sir! Thomas Wagner, from Trost District!" The tall boy answered as he snapped to attention.

"I can't hear you!"

"Thomas Wagner!" Thomas shouted.

"Can't hear you!"

"Thomas Wagner_!_!"

"Go practice in a barn_!_!"

"Look at them go." One of the younger instructors remarked as he and his superior watched from a distance, circling around the group to watch their reactions.

"You went through the same thing when you started as a cadet, didn't you?" His grey-haired, spectacle-wearing superior reminded him.

"It takes me back…" The young instructor said with a nostalgic look on his face, though he did feel kind of sorry for some the recruits. At the moment, Shadis was in the face of a young girl with black pigtails.

"No! You're from a pigsty! You're less than livestock!" He barked at her.

"Yes, Sir! I am less than livestock!" She shouted back, humiliated, but too scared to fight back.

"No!"

"But what's all that intimidation for?" The young instructor asked as Shadis tacked on an even worse insult.

"It's a rite of passage." His superior replied. "We revert them to a blank slate through the use of self-denial, after which we mold them into proper soldiers." He explained while Shadis tore down a young man with black hair. "This is one step in that process."

"Fourth row, about face!" Shadis ordered.

"Oh, there are some he's not talking to…?" The young instructor remarked. Shadis had walked right past Eren and Mikasa and few others.

"It's unnecessary for those who've already been through their rites of passage. They most likely witnessed the hell that took place two years ago. They have a different look on their faces." His superior said, noting their expressions. "Okay, let's go." He said, leading the younger instructor away for the moment.

"Who the hell are you_!_?" Shadis yelled.

"Jean Kirstein, from Trost District!" His latest victim replied.

"Why are you here_!_?"

"To join the Military Police Regiment and live in the interior!"

"Oh, I see. You wanna live in the interior, do you?"

"Yes!"

_BAM!_

"_!_?" Jean cried out in pain when Shadis abruptly head-butted him and crumbled to his knees as he held his aching head.

"Who said you could sit_!_?" Shadis roared. "If you can't handle _this_, you can forget about the Military Police!"

"Who the hell are you_!_? Why are you here_!_?"

"Marco Bodt of Jinae, on the south side of Wall Rose! I want to join the Military Police Regiment and give life and limb to the king!" The boy next to Jean with dark hair and freckle answered dutifully, sweating nervously.

"That's a fine goal, indeed. Go ahead and strive for it." Shadis told him. "But just so you know… the king doesn't _want_ your lousy life or limbs." He finished darkly, leaning in disturbingly close. Marco swallowed nervously as he moved on to the next row, which happened to start with Heidi. Shadis paused and looked surprised for a moment upon getting a closer look at her, but he recovered quickly.

"Who the hell are you_!_?" He roared. She had _that_ look, so normally he wouldn't have tested her, but…

"Sir! Heidi Trumbauer, from Shiganshina District!" Heidi answered strongly, snapping to attention as she saluted him. Eren and Mikasa's eyes flicked to the side when they heard that, trying to see her without being too obvious. Shadis' eyes widened slightly. That red hair… and the last name Trumbauer… It would appear his suspicions were correct. Was she really _that man's_ daughter? Here? In this camp? She was about the right age…

"Another ridiculous name! Why are you here_!_?"

"To join the Survey Corps!"

"Why the Survey Corps_!_?" He barked. Was she doing this to follow in her father's footsteps? Did she not know what happened to him? "Do you have a death wish, Trumbauer_!_?"

"No, Sir!" Heidi responded boldly. "But everyone dies eventually, so I figured I might as well make mine count! I want to at least go down fighting, Sir!"

"Very good, Trumbauer! I like your guts! I'm sure the titans will, too_!_!" Shadis said, giving her the full package by ending with a head-butt.

"…" It hurt like hell, and there were small tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but Heidi stood her ground, determined not to budge. Actually, the one who had been suffered the most damage from that collision was probably Shadis himself. A lump was already starting to form on his bald forehead. In addition to his flaming read hair, Odd Trumbauer's daughter had _definitely_ inherited her father's hard head…

"You're next!" The commandant shouted, quickly rounding on the boy with the buzz cut who was standing beside her. "Who the hell are you_!_?"

"Connie Springer! I'm from Rakago Village, on the south side of Wall Rose!" The boy answered with a salute. Unfortunately, it was completely wrong. Shadis immediately clapped his hands on the sides of Connie's head and squeezed, lifting the boy into the air.

"You have it backwards, Connie Springer!" Shadis growled dangerously. "It was the first thing you were taught! This salute expresses your resolve to give your heart to the people! Is your heart on the right side_!_?"

_MUNCH._

Shadis froze and immediately turned his attention to the source of the sound. A brunette girl with her hair pulled up in a ponytail was standing in the next row munching on a potato, bold as brass. Seeing the looks on Shadis' face and the previous rows of cadets that had been told to 'about face' in front of her, Heidi decided to risk taking a look for herself. Her eyes widened. She knew that face.

'S-Sashaaaa_!_!' Heidi yelled incredulously in her mind, wondering what her friend was thinking, though knowing her when it came to food, she probably wasn't. Shadis dropped Connie like a sack of rotten potatoes.

"Hey, you." The commandant said in a dangerously low tone, addressing the troublemaker. "What do you think you're doing?" Sasha glanced around while she chewed, as if looking to see who he was talking to.

'It's you, dummy!' Heidi shouted mentally, trying to communicate with Sasha with her eyes. 'Stop eating and put the damn potato away! Now!' Unfortunately, Sasha didn't seem to get the message, because she took another bite, thinking the warning look Heidi was giving her was simply one of jealously.

_"I'm talking to YOU!_!_!_" Shadis roared as he closed the gap between them, looming ominously over the potato girl. _"Who the hell are you!_?" Finally realizing the trouble she was in, Sasha quickly swallowed and snapped to attention, still clutching the potato securely in her hand as saluted.

"Sasha Braus from Dauper Village, on the south side of Wall Rose!" Sasha answered seriously. The image was ruined by the bits of potato still clinging to the sides of her mouth. Sasha always had been a messy eater…

"Sasha Braus…" Shadis said. He would be sure to remember that name. "What is that you're holding in your hand?"

"A steamed potato, Sir! I found one in the cookhouse that was ready to eat, so I couldn't help myself!" Sasha explained with a straight face.

"You _stole_ it?" Shadis asked. "Why? Why did you decide to eat it _now_?" Did she really think she wouldn't get caught?

"I felt it would be a waste to let it get cold, so I elected to eat it now." Sasha replied seriously.

"No, I don't understand. _Why_ did you eat the potato?" Shadis asked gravely. Sasha furrowed her brow slightly in confusion.

"Are you asking me why people eat potatoes, Sir?" She asked. There was complete silence aside from the wind. Heidi and all of the other cadets watched with nervous anticipation, waiting to hear her answer.

"Ah!" Sasha suddenly gasped as something came to her. Thinking about potatoes, she remembered how she and Heidi had first met. Although Sasha had initially resented all of the outsiders who were suddenly flooding her village because there was less food to go around…

_« Flashback «_

_After getting into a fight with her father after she was caught scavenging food without permission, Sasha had run away and ended up lost in unfamiliar territory. She had never gone this deep into the mountains before. Sasha had no idea where she was, and she was starving. And then, just when all hope seemed lost, she caught a whiff of the familiar smell of baking potatoes. Sasha immediately charged towards the mouthwatering smell and burst out into an open clearing, where someone had built a charming but sturdy little house. The redheaded girl tending the baking potatoes stared up at Sasha in astonishment. It was Heidi's first time seeing another kid other than her cousin since moving in with her grandfather several months ago. Just as Heidi was about to ask the strange girl who she was and what she wanted, when Sasha's empty stomach growled. She was also drooling. She looked like she hadn't eaten in days._

_"…" Heidi stared at her for a moment and carefully removed one of the potatoes from the fire. Her grandfather had told her not to give food to wild animals or outsiders because they only had enough to feed the three of them, but she figured she could do what she wanted with her own potato. She split it in half and offered her a piece. "Want it?" She asked. Sasha stared at the redheaded girl in shock. "You can have half…" Heidi told her with a small smile, wondering why she was looking at her like that. Sasha didn't have to be told twice. She immediately snatched the half being offered to her and eagerly devoured it. It was the most delicious potato she had ever tasted!_

_"Are you God!_!_?_"_ Sasha asked excitedly with sparkling eyes, clasping the kind girl's hands in her own._

_« End Flashback «_

That's right, it was thanks to that moment that Sasha and Heidi had become friends. The sharing of food had the potential to form a special bond between people, so maybe…

"Tch." Sasha clicked her tongue as she broke what was left of her potato in half. "Here's half of it for you." Sasha told the commandant, giving him the slightly smaller piece. Heidi's jaw dropped. Sasha actually _shared _her food with someone…? That was amazing! Were they about to be attacked by titans again or something_!_?

"Half…?" Shadis said quietly, staring at the piece of potato in his hand before looking back up at her. Sasha forced a smile onto her face, even though she had really wanted to eat the whole thing.

* * *

Author's note: I've added a link to my profile for a picture of Heidi for anyone who's curious.


	5. Chapter 5

**Previously:**

_That's right, it was thanks to that moment that Sasha and Heidi had become friends. The sharing of food had the potential to form a special bond between people, so maybe…_

_"Tch." Sasha clicked her tongue as she broke what was left of her potato in half. "Here's half of it for you." Sasha told the commandant, giving him the slightly smaller piece. Heidi's jaw dropped. Sasha actually shared her food with someone…? That was amazing! Were they about to be attacked by titans again or something!?_

_"Half…?" Shadis said quietly, staring at the piece of potato in his hand before looking back up at her. Sasha forced a smile onto her face, even though she had really wanted to eat the whole thing._

* * *

**Chapter 5: Encounters**

* * *

"Whoa… That Potato Girl is still running, she is." Connie remarked, watching Sasha's silhouette against the setting sun as she ran past the mess hall off in a distance.

"Huh?" Eren said as he and Armin stopped on their way in to see what Connie, Marco, and Heidi were all staring at while leaning against the railing. "Man, she's been at it for five hours straight. Wow, just wow." Mina also stopped upon hearing that.

"Still, being told to run until she's on the verge of death didn't seem to bother her quite as much as the moment she was told to skip lunch." Connie said.

"Yeah, she's been like that ever since I met her." Heidi commented with a wry smile. Sasha really loved to eat. After feeding her just once, Sasha had started randomly showing up around meal times, kind of like a stray cat. Her grandfather had even used her as an example of why you shouldn't carelessly feed wild animals… But Sasha was pretty tough. She'd probably be good for another two or three hours before she collapsed.

"You know her, Heidi?" Armin asked. He and Eren were a little surprised to hear that.

"Well, my grandfather lives a few miles outside of Dauper, so we sort of became friends because she was the only kid brave enough to trespass on his land." Heidi explained. They had never had any other visitors because most of the villagers were too wary of their aloof and 'eccentric' neighbors to go anywhere near the Trumbauer clan's land. And since the three of them provided for themselves using a combination of both hunting and farming, they only had to go into the village once a year to trade for a few items they couldn't make themselves. "Well, I'd better go grab some food while there's still enough to go around." She said, excusing herself with a little wave as she entered the mess hall. Hopefully there would be something she could save and sneak out to Sasha.

"I think I remember hearing something about Dauper being a remote, scarcely populated village of hunters inside the mountains." Connie said thoughtfully.

"I'm surprised to hear those still exist…" Marco remarked. "By the way, we never got to hear where you're from…" He said, turning to look at Eren. "Where did you live?"

"I'm from Shiganshina, same as him and Heidi." Eren replied, patting Armin on the shoulder.

"Oh, I see…" Marco said, furrowing his brow slightly. The three of them must have been through a lot.

"That means… You were there the day it happened, weren't you!" Connie exclaimed.

"H-Hey!" Marco stuttered nervously. That was probably a really sensitive topic for them!

"Did you see it? Did you get see the Colossal Titan_!_?" Connie asked excitedly without thinking. Heidi furrowed her brow and frowned. He made it sound like they had won some sort of prize…

"Y-Yeah…" Eren answered a bit hesitantly, also taken aback by his eagerness.

Unfortunately, since they were having soup that evening, there wasn't much Heidi could save for Sasha aside from the roll they served with it, but at least she was able to eat in peace with Armin at Mikasa's table, unlike poor Eren, who ended up having to sit at another table after being bombarded by a curious flock of cadets. The three of them watched from a safe distance while Eren tried to answer all of their questions.

"For the thousandth time… _Yes_, I got to see it." Eren told the crowd surrounding him, wishing they would stop asking stupid questions and let him eat his soup.

"For real_!_?" Thomas asked.

"How big is it_!_?" Samuel asked.

"Big enough for it's head to show over the wall." Eren answered.

"What_!_? I heard it stepped _over_ the wall!"

"Me, too_!_!"

"That's what they said in my village, too!"

"No… It wasn't quite that big." Eren said.

"What did its face look like_!_?" Mina asked.

"It was mostly skinless, with a huge mouth."

"What about the Armored Titan that broke Wall Maria_!_?"

"That's what people call it, but it looked like an ordinary titan to me." Eren replied.

"Well, then… what does an ordinary titan look like_!_?" Samuel asked. Eren froze as an image of his mother being eaten by the smiling titan flashed through his mind.

"Ugh…" Eren groaned and visibly paled as he dropped his spoon and covered his mouth, feeling sick to his stomach. Everyone around him paled too when they saw his expression. Just how bad was an ordinary titan for him to make a face like that…?

"Enough with the questions, everyone." Marco said. "Some things are best left forgotten."

"Sorry! Must have reminded you of a lot of unpleasant stuff…!" Connie apologized sincerely, starting to regret his actions. Eren gasped and clenched his fist. Why was he letting himself falter here?

"Wrong…" Eren said as he picked up his roll, surprising them. He tore off a bit of bread with his teeth and forced himself to swallow. "Titans… aren't such a big deal when you get down to it. Once get used to the three-dimensional maneuver gear_, _they'll be nothing to us!" Heidi quietly sipped her drink. She wasn't so sure about that. After all, her uncle and plenty of other soldiers had died despite being able to use the 3DMG. It was dangerous to underestimate your opponent too much. "Screw stone-picking and weeding. We _finally_ get to train as soldiers! I was just overcome with emotion, that's all."

"I-If you say so…" Marco said a bit hesitantly.

"I'm going to join the Survey Corp… and wipe titans off the face of the earth!" Eren declared. "When that happens…"

"Hello? Are you insane?" Jean asked dubiously, drawing everyone's attention to his spot at the next table. "Did you just say you're gonna join the Survey Corp?"

"Yeah, that's right." Eren answered without hesitation. "Aren't you the one who wants to join the Military Police and live the easy life?"

"Honest is what I am…" Jean retorted with a smirk. "A lot more than some guy who puts on a brave façade even as deep down he's pissing his pants, anyway." Eren clenched his fists.

"Listen to yourself. Think you're smart, eh? Are you talking about me, Mr. Smarty-Pants_!_?" Eren demanded challengingly. His chair scrapped against the floor as he stood up and turned to face the other boy.

"Oh, my bad." Jean said abruptly, surprising him. Eren had been expecting more of a fight. "I have this bad habit of always saying what's on my mind. Never meant to upset you." Jean added carelessly, also standing up.

_"Hey."_ Heidi said, getting their attention, as stepped in between them before things could escalate.

'Crap! It's that girl who took that powerful head-butt like it was nothing!' Jean thought. She had to be some kind of monster. Ah, that's right, she had said something about joining the Survey Corps, too! Did he just make her his enemy…?

"You gonna eat that?" Heidi asked with a straight face, pointing at his untouched bread. Silence filled the room as Jean stared down at her with a blank look on his face. Was that all she had to say about this…_!_?

_DING~! DING~!_

"Dinner's over." Marco said. "Time to tidy up."

"So, can I have it?" Heidi asked again, holding her hand out expectantly.

"Uh, sure…" Jean said a bit awkwardly, placing the roll in her hand.

"Thanks." She said, wrapping it in a clean handkerchief along with her own roll, before turning to walk away without another word.

"Ah, hey!" One of the boys sitting at Jean's table called out to her. Heidi stopped and turned to face him, hoping she was about to receive another generous donation. He was a big, strapping boy with sandy blonde hair, grey eyes, and freckles… There was something irritatingly familiar about his face. "You might not recognize me anymore, but I'd know that bright red hair anywhere! It's me, Heidi. Peter Stauss!" Heidi deadpanned. He said that like it was something to be excited about.

'Tch! They let in someone really irritating…' She thought, not at all thrilled to see her childhood bully again.

"I can't believe we're meeting here again… I never got to say it before, but… the truth is, I've always liked you!" He confessed rather abruptly. The only reason he teased her and made fun of her hair was to keep the other boys from realizing how cute she was!

"Oh, is that so?" Heidi asked flatly without the slightest hint of emotion. This had to be some kind of sick joke. "Well, that's too bad for you, because after everything you've put me through, all I can say is that I hate your guts." She stated bluntly as she turned on her heel and left to help Mikasa and Armin clean up their table. Peter stared after her in shock, completely crushed. The atmosphere around him was so awkward, that everyone quickly moved away or pretended to be looking elsewhere. Jean let out a sigh as he turned his attention back to Eren.

"I don't mean to dismiss your opinion." Jean told him. "What everyone does with their lives is their own business."

"It's all right." Eren said, now that he'd had a chance to calm down. "I was a bit too eager to pick a fight myself."

"Sure, let's forget about it and be friends, okay?" Jean said, holding out his hand as sign of peace.

"Yeah." Eren agreed, hitting Jean's hand lightly to show he accepted as he turned to walk away. As Jean watched Eren leave, he was passed by a gorgeous girl with beautiful black hair. His eyes widened slightly.

"H-Hey, you…!" Jean called out, stopping her.

"?" Mikasa turned around to face the boy who had just been talking to Eren, wondering what he wanted.

"Uhh, err, umm…" He said nervously, trying not to blush. "I've never seen anyone who looks like you before… S-Sorry! I mean, you have very pretty black hair." He finished kind of lamely, blushing out of embarrassment.

"Thanks." Mikasa said calmly, stepping outside. Jean followed after her. He froze when he saw that she was chasing after Eren.

"The heck? No, I wasn't getting into a fight." Eren huffed moodily as he walked with her.

"I take my eyes off you for a second, and this is what happens…" Mikasa said with a sigh. She was glad Heidi had used collecting bread for Sasha as an excuse to break the tension.

"He we go again…" Eren grumbled. "But more importantly… Don't you think your hair's too long?" He asked, reaching out to flip the back of it with his hand. "It could cause an accident during the maneuvering drills."

"Yeah. All right, I'll cut it." She agreed quietly as she touched her silky black hair, happy to hear that he was worried about her. "But… How short do you think it should be?" As Connie exited the mess hall, Jean abruptly reached out and wiped his hand on the back of his shirt.

"H-Hey!" Connie shouted indignantly. "Don't mess with other people's clothes! What did you wipe on me_!_?"

"My faith… in humanity…" Jean stated gravely.

It was so dark by the time Sasha was done running that the torches had already been lit.

"Finished… at last…" She panted heavily as she forced herself to trudge forward. 'He really did have me… run till I almost died, he did…' She thought, struggling not to pass out on the road. 'And here I thought I'd find some nice things to eat when I left my… village…' Sasha collapsed and fell to the ground. It was no good… She was done for it. 'I bet I'll have starved to death by tomorrow morning…' Her only hope now was that Heidi would find her before then. 'So many… things left I… wanted to… eat…' Sasha closed her eyes. And then, just as she was about to abandon all hope, Sasha's nose twitched. _She could smell food_. "Ghaaaaaarghh_!_!" Sasha let out a mighty roar as she suddenly pounced on the source.

"Kyaa!" The blonde girl who had brought it to her cried out in surprise, falling back, as Sasha snatched the bread from her hands with her teeth and landed on all fours, like a wild animal.

"Huh_!_!" Sasha gasped when she realized what she was doing, recovering some of her senses the moment she tasted the food in her mouth. "This is… _breeaad!_!" She exclaimed, wondering how it had gotten there. Her body had instinctively moved on its own.

"It's not much, but I saved it for you." The girl, Krista Lenz explained a bit timidly. "Oh, but… you really ought to drink some water first." She added, holding up a waterskin canteen. She appeared to be surrounded by a radiant and heavenly light in Sasha's eyes.

"Are you God_!_?" Sasha asked, grabbing Krista by the shoulders.

"Huh_!_?" Krista gasped in surprised.

"Are you_!_?" Sasha demanded more strongly.

"Ah." Heidi said when she stepped up and saw that Krista had already beaten her there, bearing more bread and water. "I see we had the same idea."

"Another God has appeared_!_!_?_" Sasha shouted excitedly, throwing herself at her.

"B-Be quiet about it!" Heidi whisper-yelled. They weren't supposed to still be outside right now!

'Does she react that way every time someone gives her food…?' Krista wondered as she watched Sasha cling to Heidi while devouring the bread they had brought her like a ravenous beast, feeling a little dumbfounded. "Hey there!" A tall girl with dark hair, tan skin, and freckles greeted them as she stepped out of the darkness. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Um, well…" Krista responded a bit nervously. "She's done nothing but run for a while, so…"

"Not Potato Girl, you. What do _you_ think you're doing_!_?" Ymir asked pointedly.

"Me?" Krista asked, confused.

"I saw you hide that roll during dinner, and it pissed me off…" Ymir said, looking directly at Krista. "Just like those kids who raise a pet behind their parents' back, you know…"

'Well, that's actually pretty close to the truth in this situation…' Heidi thought a little sardonically, wondering why Ymir was focusing only on the blonde girl. Her name was 'Krista' something, wasn't it?

"Now, tell me… You think you're doing the right thing, huh?" Ymir continued, staring down at Krista as if she were the only one there. "Did you do it for Potato Girl or to impress Red-hot, here? Is the sense of accomplishment and exaltation you get out of this worth the effort?"

'Red-hot…?' Heidi thought, raising an eyebrow, as Sasha promptly collapsed the moment she finished eating, out cold.

"Uh…" Krista said nervously, looking really intimidated.

"Hey, I don't know why you're picking on her, but I don't think she's doing anything wrong." Heidi spoke up seeing the cornered expression on her face. "You don't have to have a reason to help someone." The world they lived in was cruel enough without them adding to it.

"Hmm? You're that crazy girl who wants to join the Survey Corps, right?" Ymir asked, finally turning her attention to the redhead. "So, you're trying to do something 'nice', huh?"

"I'm only looking out for a friend." Heidi answered calmly. "This is just 'business as usual' for me."

"I see, well that's not so bad. An owner should look after their pet to the end, after all." Ymir retorted coolly.

"I…" Krista said suddenly, speaking out with a wavering voice. "I… chose to do this because… I wanted to be seen as somebody you can count upon… Is that it?" Heidi blinked as she and Ymir stared at her. Was that supposed to be an answer or a question?

"Huh?" Ymir said, furrowing her brow. "Like hell I'd know…"

"If you don't know, you don't have to make up an excuse…" Heidi added. Why do people need a reason for everything? There's nothing wrong with doing something just because you want to.

"Anyway, let's get Potato Girl to bed." Ymir said, squatting down to pick the unconscious Sasha up and sling her over her shoulders.

"Huh_!_?" Krista said, surprised.

"You two shorties would have a hard time carrying her, wouldn't you?" Ymir said pointed out as an explanation for her actions.

"…" Heidi was also surprised that she would help them after that. She was a little suspicious, but she wasn't about to turn down help getting that big lug into bed. She was pretty sure Sasha had been assigned a top bunk…

"… Um… Why would _you_… choose to do 'the right thing'?" Krista asked as bit hesitantly.

"If I do her a favor, she'll owe me… That's why." Ymir replied frankly. "I can bank on her stupidity."

'Hmm… I'm not sure I like where this is going, but whatever.' Heidi thought with a shrug as she and Krista got up and followed Ymir as she carried Sasha back to the barracks. She'd deal with whatever the consequences were tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Previously:**

_"… Um… Why would you… choose to do 'the right thing'?" Krista asked as bit hesitantly._

_"If I do her a favor, she'll owe me… That's why." Ymir replied frankly. "I can bank on her stupidity."_

_'Hmm… I'm not sure I like where this is going, but whatever.' Heidi thought with a shrug as she and Krista got up and followed Ymir as she carried Sasha back to the barracks. She'd deal with whatever the consequences were tomorrow._

* * *

**Chapter 6: Need**

* * *

The next morning, they found themselves assembled in front of four large tripod frames with wires hanging down from them to begin their 3DMG training.

"First, let's see if you're good for something!" Commandant Shadis roared at the crowd of cadets before him. "Just tie the ropes to both sides of your waist and hang down from there_!_! Use your full-body belts for balance! Those who can't do this aren't even fit to be bait! We'll send you off to farm the wasteland_!_!"

"Hey, Heidi, come get in line with me." Peter said confidently, as if her rejection the previous day had never happened. Apparently, he wasn't ready to admit defeat.

"Why should I have to go with you?" Heidi asked, furrowing her brow with an open look of annoyance on her face.

"Well," Peter said with a cocky grin, "for a friendless person like you, of course I'll have to look out for…"

"Heidi! Let's go over there!" Sasha said excitedly, grabbing her hand and pulling her off to stand in a completely different line than the one he had been pointing at.

"… Eh?" Peter said, chagrined that Heidi had managed to escape so easily. Since when was she the type to make friends? Ah, that's right… The reason why Heidi never had any friends before was because he used to scare them away…

Shadis and the other instructors watched while the cadets divided up and formed lines to take turns trying out their harnesses.

"This is but the most basic step, but from here we can get a good grasp for a person's general aptitude for three-dimensional maneuvering." The silver-haired instructor with glasses from the previous day remarked as he observed their progress with one of the younger instructors. "Hm… That girl, there… Look at her." He said, nodding to Mikasa, who was up first. "This is what I call perfect. She knows exactly what to do and how to do it. That's what I mean by aptitude." Next to her was Connie, then Sasha (who was hanging there swinging back and forth), and Jean. There forms weren't as perfect as Mikasa's, but they weren't bad for their first try. "Hmm… It looks like we have many talented cadets this time around." He remarked as they four of them stepped down, and the next ones in line took their places.

'Oh... This isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be…' Heidi thought, a bit surprised as she hung from her harness, balancing by using mostly the muscles in her legs and torso. It was kind of like swimming, but without water and more gravity involved.

'Hmm… It seems her aptitude for this is better than her father's.' Shadis thought as he watched her. She had wobbled once, but then immediately became almost as steady and still as Mikasa had been. Practicing with 3DMG was a demanding, unforgiving affair. Humans are creatures used to moving in two dimensions, and this training involves accommodating them to a third one. Physical strength is the most important of all, especially in the lower body. However, anti-gravity capacity (females are particularly good at this) and good perception of space come in at a close second. It takes above-average willpower, especially to avoid panicking upon realizing that one is in midair. To that end, they'll perform a variety of activities such as bungee jumping and apparatus gymnastics, on top of which the instructors might deliberately cut off their lifelines to test their reactions. In layman's terms, a 'surprise attack' of sorts. This training was hardly anyone's definition of safe, but those who die in undertaking it would have stood no chance in front of a titan anyway. Therefore, those who do complete it achieve strong morale and great self-confidence. 'Odd, it looks like your daughter will make a splendid make a splendid warrior.' He thought, remembering the smiling face of his old subordinate. 'Today that little girl you were forced to leave behind because of my poor decisions… has become a soldier.'

"Umm, what about him?" The young instructor asked his silver-haired superior as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, pointing at Eren.

"… Speaking of aptitude… If some people can perform much better than others, then the exact opposite is equally true." His superior replied as they stared at the boy who was bent over backwards in his harness with his brown hair almost touching the ground.

"What are you doing, Eren Yeager_!_!_?_" The commandant demanded, ready to chew him out. "Straighten yourself up_!_!"

'No way…' Heidi thought as she watched the commotion next to her with wide eyes, stunned. 'How could _Eren_…_!_?' A lot of the people who were still waiting in line to try snickered and laughed at him. He could see that Armin and Mikasa were shocked.

'Huh…? What's going on…?' Eren thought as he hung there uselessly, wide-eyed with shock. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get back up. 'How did… this happen? You've gotta be kidding me… It wasn't meant to go down this way…_!_!'

"Hey, don't take it so hard… Not everyone gets it right away on the first try." Heidi told Eren after they were unhooked as they walked over to wait with Mikasa and Sasha while Armin took his turn next.

"I don't need your pity." He muttered bitterly.

"No, I mean, look over there." She said, pointing to some of the others who had just been hooked up. Armin seemed to be struggling, but he was actually doing the best out of his group. The others just looked plain ridiculous as they wobbled around, waving their arms while trying to keep their balance and stay upright, especially Peter. For all his muscles, he wasn't doing so hot. If Eren hadn't just failed, it would have been downright comical, but as things stood, he had no right to laugh. "You probably just need more practice…"

"That's it!" Eren said excitedly as they joined the others.

"What's it?" Mikasa asked.

"Mikasa, you're good at this, right_!_?" He said. "I need you to help me practice so I won't fail again!"

In the end, nothing they did helped. In fact, Eren seemed to be getting worse. Mikasa and Armin ended up having to drag him to see the camp doctor after he flipped over and hit his head on the ground and knocked himself out cold. By the time he regained consciousness, they had already finished practicing 3D maneuvering, and the tripods had been taken down for the day. Sitting in the mess hall to eat supper, Heidi had to stop Sasha multiple times from trying to steal from Eren's unguarded plate as he stared off into space.

"Hey, Daz... Ain't that the guy from last night?" One of the older cadets remarked rather loudly to his friend as they started at Eren from several tables over. "He was like 'I'm gonna slaughter them titans to the last', wasn't he?"

"I hear he almost killed himself on basic position control training." Daz told his friend with the hint of a smirk.

"Seriously? Can't imagine how someone could fail at _that_… What happened to this guy, to want to wipe out the titans?"

"Eren." Heidi said, trying to get his attention.

"Beats me. They're gonna kick him out eventually at this rate."

"Eren."

"It's not like we can afford to waste food on the useless."

"Eren!" Mikasa said, squeezing his shoulder to get his attention.

"Ow!" Eren exclaimed, flinching in pain as something cracked.

"I'm sorry." Heidi apologized, slapping Sasha's hand away from his plate. "I said something irresponsible…"

"There's no point in worrying about it." Armin said reasonably. None of them could have predicted that Eren would be this bad at it. "If you pull it off tomorrow, everything will be okay. More importantly, you should eat to recover from your blood loss."

"…" Eren ate a spoonful of soup, but he still didn't look like his usual self. "… What if… I can't pull it off tomorrow? I-I won't know what to do with myself…" He said worriedly, holding his bandaged head.

"Come on, already. It's not worth losing sleep over it for now." Armin said reasonably.

"Armin's right. You need a full night's rest, or you won't have any strength when you need it most. This defeatist attitude isn't like you at all." Heidi added, frowning slightly in concern.

"This is pathetic… How am I supposed to wipe them out like this?" Eren asked, completely unaffected by their awkward attempt at a pep talk. Sasha opened her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it when Heidi guessed what she was about to say and quietly handed over the rest of her bread.

"Maybe you… should just forget about that altogether." Mikasa said.

"Huh_!_?" Eren demanded incredulously.

"Eh?" Armin asked as he and both Heidi froze with their soupspoons in their mouths. What was Mikasa saying? Eren had pretty much built his whole existence around his desire to wipe out the titans. What was he supposed to do without it?

"If you're not cut out for it, then that's just the way it is. If you can barely pull your own weight, if you can barely pull your own weight, the only thing you'll manage to do is to die pointlessly." Mikasa stated. "All your dreams and efforts will have been for naught."

"…" They all stared at her, stunned. Armin and Heidi knew what she was saying wasn't wrong, but…

"Wha… _Say what?"_ Eren said, thinking he must have misheard.

"I'm saying you don't have to be a soldier. Supporting humankind as a manufacturer is also an option." Mikasa explained. "Fighting is not just about tossing your life out the window."

"Wh-What the hell… I saw what happened that day!" Eren reminded her, gritting his teeth in anger. "Do you really think you can just convince me to quit_!_?"

"Still, it doesn't matter how determined you are." Mikasa told him.

"Huh? Why not_!_?" Eren demanded.

"Because _you_ don't get to decide if you're fit to be a soldier or not." She reminded him.

"Uh…_!_!" Eren flinched in shock, realizing she was right. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. 'Bitch… I know that!' He thought angrily as he began shoveling food into his mouth. 'True enough, I shouldn't even think of it as long as I can't even pull that trick off… It's only logical… I've got no way to argue against that at the moment. You're pretty much telling me to shut the hell up… Eh, Miss I-can-do-whatever-like-it's-nobody's-business!'

'Uwahh… That's a really scary look he's got on his face.' Heidi thought warily. She knew Mikasa meant well, but things were starting to get ugly fast…

"…!" Mikasa gasped, looking down when she saw the expression on Eren's face.

_Ding~! Ding~!_

The moment the bell rang to signal that it was time for everyone not on duty to head to their barracks, everyone in the mess hall began gathering up their empty plates and cleaning up after themselves.

"I'm not saying… you should return to the fields alone." Mikasa began a bit hesitantly. "When that happens, I'll be going too… So… you should not let it trouble you." She finished a bit a shyly as she turned to face Eren, who had somehow turned into Sasha. Sasha stared back at her, caught red-handed trying to steal her bread.

"Sorry, Mikasa… but the boys already left." Heidi said a bit awkwardly, feeling embarrassed for her. The mess hall was almost completely empty now.

"So, umm… What you're saying is… that I can have that?" Sasha asked, pointing at the bread.

"…" Mikasa and Heidi stared at her. _Really?_ Mikasa picked the roll up and held it out like she was going to give to her. Sasha's eyes lit up with excitement as she reached out to take it. Mikasa promptly withdrew the bread and ate it herself. All of the light left Sasha's eyes, and she deadpanned. That was just cruel.

"What're you doing, eh, Sasha?" Ymir called from the doorway.

"Y-Yes_!_!" Sasha said, immediately snapping to attention as she stood up and saluted.

"What happened to taking care of me and Krista's part of that water-drawing chore?" Ymir asked bluntly.

"Ye-Yes, right away, my savior, my God… hehehe." Sasha said, laughing nervously, as she ran over to leave with Ymir and Krista.

"Surely you don't value that life of yours we rescued so lightly?" Ymir asked with a devious smirk, putting an arm around Sasha to prevent her from running away in the even that she changed her mind.

"You can't do that." Krista said a bit feebly as she followed them out. "Stop it…"

"… Aren't you going to save her?" Mikasa asked once she finished swallowing her bread.

"I though about it… but I realized I might've been spoiling her a bit too much. She needs to learn to break that habit of automatically assuming that anyone who gives her something to eat is a 'good person'." Heidi answered with a sigh. If she wasn't more selective in which strangers she took food from, that habit was going to get her into trouble someday. "And experience is the best teacher, so…"

"So, you chose the lesser of two evils and decided to let Ymir give her that 'experience'." Mikasa concluded.

"I'll stop it if it gets out of hand, but for now I think I'll let this lesson run its course." Heidi agreed, though she wouldn't exactly call Ymir a 'lesser' evil… "As for Eren, try not to worry too much. There's still tomorrow, and you never know… a miracle might happen. Either way, you'll be there for him, right?" She asked with a small, knowing smile. Mikasa looked down shyly and nodded. That's right. Whatever happened, she and Eren would always be together…

—∞—

The next day, the tripods for basic maneuvering practice were brought out again.

"Eren Yeager… Are you ready?" Shadis asked while Thomas finished hooking his harness up to the wires. "The ability to operate 3DMG is the absolute lowest requirement for a soldier. If you can not do this, we'll send you back to farm the wastelands… Understand?"

"Yes, Sir!" Eren answered determinedly. He spared a glance over at some of the others who were struggling to pass this same ultimatum. 'I'll do it! I'll do it or die trying!' He thought anxiously. 'I might have no aptitude for this, but still… when it comes to sheer guts, I'm second to no one!'

"Begin." Shadis said. Thomas carefully turned the crank and slowly lifted Eren into the air.

'To hell with logic!' Eren continued in his mind. 'It might be utterly baseless! But it's all I've got! And it is my weapon_!_!' Eren grit his teeth, trembling all over as he focused every fiber of his being on staying upright.

"Ooh_!_!" His friends and the rest of the crowd gasped in amazement.

'Hell yeah… I did it_!_!' Eren thought excitedly.

_FWIP!_

"Aaah!" Eren cried out in pain and dismay as his head slammed into the ground again. Heidi had blinked, and the next thing she knew, Eren was hanging upside down from his harness. She and the others stared with open mouths, appalled on his behalf. "No…" Eren moaned as he stared ahead with wide eyes, mortified.

"!" Shadis said when he noticed something strange. "Put him down."

"Not yet…!" Eren cried, struggling to get back up. "I-I'm still…_!_! I'm not…_!_!"

"Put him down now." Shadis ordered firmly. Thomas reluctantly lowered Eren the rest of the way down. It was completely silent except for the wind. Eren pushed himself up onto his knees. He was shaking.

"I'm not…" Eren started to protest feebly, when the commandant decided to issue another order.

"Wagner." Shadis said.

"Sir?" Thomas responded, awaiting his orders.

"Exchange your equipment with Yeager's." Shadis told him, surprising everyone present.

As soon as they were done exchanging harnesses, Eren was hooked up and raised into the air again. For some reason, his form was much better, and he found it much easier to stay upright this time.

"Your equipment was defective." Shadis explained. "The metal fixtures on your belt were damaged. Normally, it goes up to the waist so that even if you're overturned, your head shouldn't hit the ground."

"Huh?" Eren said, surprised. Then, the reason why he kept flipping over before was…?

"I've never heard of this part breaking before; I guess we'll have to add it to the maintenance checklist. You're gonna have to get yourself some new, proper gear." Shadis told him.

'Wow…' Heidi thought. 'Then, even with broken equipment, he still managed to…_!_?'

"Th-Then… What about my military aptitude…?" Eren asked anxiously.

"… No problem." Shadis said. "Train hard."

'Hell yeah_!_!' Eren thought excitedly, pumping his fists in the air victoriously. 'I did it! Whaddaya think, Mikasa_!_? I can do this! I can fight the titans_!_! You can finally stop mollycoddling me_!_!'

"!" Mikasa gasped when she saw the expression on his face.

"Looks like the miracle happened…" Reiner said as he and Bertolt smiled, amazed he was able to pull it off.

"If that look on his face isn't triumph, I don't know what is." Armin said, excited and relieved for his friend.

"Victory!" Heidi cheered, pumping one of her own fists in the air.

"It isn't." Mikasa said, surprising them. "He's thinking about how he won't have to stay close to me anymore, and it makes him happy…" She explained, looking extremely hurt. The others stared at her in shock. They didn't know what to say. Heidi quietly placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Previously:**

_"Looks like the miracle happened…" Reiner said as he and Bertolt smiled, amazed he was able to pull it off._

_"If that look on his face isn't triumph, I don't know what is." Armin said, excited and relieved for his friend._

_"Victory!" Heidi cheered, pumping one of her own fists in the air._

_"It isn't." Mikasa said, surprising them. "He's thinking about how he won't have to stay close to me anymore, and it makes him happy…" She explained, looking extremely hurt. The others stared at her in shock. They didn't know what to say. Heidi quietly placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her._

* * *

**Chapter 7: Illusions of Force**

* * *

"Aaah!" Marco shouted as he charged at Heidi with a wooden knife.

"!" Heidi quickly parried his blow by using her arm to knock the attack off center, grabbing the wrist of his sleeve and the lapel of his jacket as she sidestepped, using his own momentum to flip him over. "Humph_!_!" Poor Marco landed on his back with a thud.

"Oww…" He groaned in pain. He really should have listened when she told him not to hold to back…

"Ah, sorry!" She apologized sheepishly as she helped him back up. "I'm used to fighting my grandpa, so I don't really know how to hold back…" Marco stared at her, looking a mix of shocked and appalled. He hoped she was joking. She fought like this with an old man? More like, what kind of monster _was_ her grandfather…?

"I-I see…" He said with an awkward smile, feeling a bit lame. "But you're really strong, Heidi. I was surprised."

"Thanks." She replied with a smile. "Let's switch. I can teach you how to use that move as well as how to block it, if you want."

"Oh, thank you." Marco said politely, but he wasn't sure he wanted her coming at him even with a fake knife… "But I wonder what this training is about. Soldiers fighting other people? I'd hate to see that happen."

"What are you saying, Marco?" Heidi asked, blinking. "Didn't you want to join the Military Police Brigade? There's a reason why they primarily use firearms like rifles instead of the 3DMG. To the king nestled safely in the interior, who do you think is actually the bigger threat? The titans, who live outside the walls, or the people who are already inside and living close to him?"

"…_!_!" Marco gasped in realization. That's right! Even though a large portion of their grades was affected by their ability to use the 3DMG, the Military police still needed special permission to use it. Until five years ago, only the Survey Corps carried it regularly. And yet, they were required to master the 3DMG so they could get into the top ten just to qualify to join the Military Police…

"I've heard lots of stories from my grandfather about old royal families, and nine times out of ten, betrayal didn't come from the outside, but rather someone close to them. In the worst case scenario, you could end up in a situation like this, where you're the one who's unarmed. Even if you use your body to shield the king, if you can't take the weapon away from his attacker before you die, then he'll just step over your body and kill the king next, so it's better if you can take the enemy out first. Also… you're a nice guy, Marco, so this probably hasn't occurred to you, but… not everyone who joins the Military Police is doing it purely out of loyalty to the king, and from what I've heard, a lot of them aren't afraid to abuse their authority, either. So even if the king isn't hated, there are probably ill feelings towards the brigade. People may see you in your uniform and attack you out of spite." She said, furrowing her brow in concern. "When that happens, are you going to shoot them, or would you rather be able to disarm them without any casualties?"

"…" Marco stared at her, stunned.

'Ah. Maybe I said too much…' Heidi thought, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. Sometimes she just went off a tangent and started to ramble…

"Please… Please teach me!" Marco said earnestly as he grabbed her hands, surprising her. She was right! Even if they weren't being graded on this, it was an important skill to learn if he wanted to be able to properly protect the king!

'How dare he hold her hands like that_!_?' Peter thought, seething with jealously as he watched Heidi practice with Marco (even though the sparkling atmosphere around them was all in his own head), tightening his hold the opponent he had trapped in a side headlock.

"Ow! Oww!" Jean yelled at him trying to get lose. What the hell was his problem_!_? Didn't they agree to just _pretend _to go through the motions? Why was he getting serious all of a sudden_!_?

"Hey, today when I fought with Annie… I realized something." Eren said later that evening as they were eating dinner together again. "I was so caught up in getting stronger that I never thought about it before, but it's such a clear contradiction… They're honing their titan killing skills just to get _away_ from the titans! Doesn't that seem like a weird system to you?" Heidi raised an eyebrow. He was only realizing that now?

"It can't be helped." Armin said. "Before Wall Maria fell, only the Survey Corps had any real use for the 3DMG, and they're a small regiment. That put 3DMG expertise at risk… So this was a way to prevent its decline."

"Give it a strong blast for a just a second." Jean said, talking loudly to the people at his table. Eren furrowed his brow as he glanced at them. "Relying on inertia will save you gas. Well, it's not the sort of thing that can be done by just anyone, you know." Jean bragged.

"By the same token," Armin continued as he and the others ignored him, "to increase your chances of making it inland, you had no choice but to neglect your hand-to-hand skill. As for how this hasn't changed since the wall was destroyed, it's because the folks from the inland call the shots, and… If that trend keeps up, someday… Eren, are you listening?" Armin asked when he noticed how intensely he was glaring at Jean.

"Okay, I know I'm good at that maneuver thing… but don't go about advertising it too much." Jean said. "I could do without all the extra rivals." Eren grit his teeth.

"Hey, Jean…" He called out, getting the braggart's attention.

"What is it, Eren?" Jean answered challengingly.

"Tell me… Don't you find it funny?" Eren asked bitterly. "Honing your titan-busting techniques in an effort to get as far away from them as you can, I mean."

"… Yeah, you're probably right." Jean said after a moment. "But that's the way it works, so you gotta deal with it. The same silliness applies to all, even a guy like me." Eren glared at him. There wasn't the slightest hint of remorse in Jean's eyes.

"You slimy piece of shit_!_!" Eren yelled in a burst of anger as he shot up out of his chair.

"Don't be a pain in the ass just because you lack talent! This is reality!" Jean shouted back mockingly, also standing.

'Here we go again…' Heidi thought chagrined. Maybe she should just let them duke it out for once so they could get it out of their systems.

"Not again!" She heard someone remark.

"Don't they ever stop?" Another asked.

"Tell me, then_!_! How are we supposed to defeat the titans_!_!_?_" Eren demanded. "How, when all the competent people go lock themselves up inside…?"

"Don't ask me, I wouldn't know… I mean…" Jean said as he glanced in Mikasa's direction to see if she was watching. Unfortunately, Mikasa just let out a sigh. Her eyes were completely focused on Eren. Jean snapped.

"Don't fuck with me, you little bitch…_!_!" He roared furiously, grabbing Eren by the front of his shirt.

"Huh_!_?_?_" Eren shouted in bewilderment. The fuck was his problem_!_!_?_ "Let go! You're gonna rip it, dammit_!_!"

"Your clothes_!_? Who gives a crap_!_?" Jean yelled. "I'd kill just to be in your shoes!"

"Huh_!_? What are you talking about_!_?" Eren shouted. "!" It was then that he noticed that traces of tears were forming in the corners of Jean's eyes. And behind him, he could see Reiner and Annie. 'That's right… He's… the same guy I was not so long ago. Wearing his heart on his sleeve… he always has to take his feelings out on others…' Eren thought. 'But now, I'm different… Now I'm… a soldier!' Just as Annie had done to him during hand-to-hand practice, He grabbed Jean's wrist with one hand and reached out with the other to cup his neck and push back as he kicked his legs out from under him, flipping Jean onto his back. Jean hit the floor with a loud thud. Heidi's eyes widened in surprise as she and the others stared at them in astonishment. What was that move? She wanted to learn it…

"You prick_!_!" Jean growled, groaning in pain. "What the hell was that_!_?"

"This trick is something I learned the hard way while _you_ were screwing around." Eren told him. "A carefree life spent in indolence, following your every whim. That's your idea of reality? And yet, somehow… you still dare to call yourself a soldier_!_?" He demanded challengingly. Everyone in the mess hall stared at Eren, stunned by his words. Jean furrowed his brow and grit his teeth.

"What do _you_ call a soldier, then?" He asked, trembling with anger and frustration.

_CREEAAAK._

Eren and Jean immediately occupied the closest open chairs as the door of the mess hall opened, revealing Commandant Shadis. He looked extra scary with his face cast partially in shadow. It was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Sasha had frozen in the middle of licking her plate clean.

"That was a huge noise I heard a couple of minutes ago… Would anyone care to explain?" The commandant asked pointedly as he stepped inside. Knowing they would most likely all get punished if no one answered, Mikasa raised her hand.

"That was just the sound of Sasha farting, Sir." She said with a straight face.

"Uuh_!_?" Sasha exclaimed in horror, shocked that Mikasa throw her under the carriage like that. Everyone had to bite his or her tongues and lips to keep from laughing.

"_You_ again…" Shadis said, eyeing her with disdain, as he held a hand to his mouth. He wasn't at all surprised.

"_!_!" Sasha gasped, mortified that he wasn't even questioning it.

"Learn some self-restraint, will you." Shadis told before turning and marching back out, shutting the door behind him. Several people were shaking from the effort of containing their laughter now, but no one dared to let it loose. They didn't want him coming back again. Sasha grabbed Mikasa's wrist and shook it, staring at her with eyes that demanded to know why she had been betrayed. Mikasa shoved her bread in Sasha's open mouth. Heidi smiled wryly when Mikasa was immediately forgiven for feeding her.

"That was a close call, Jean." Eren remarked with the hint of a smirk. "A little bit more… and that petty scuffle would have cost you your place in the Military Police."

"Can't say I'm happy, though... We'll never settle the score, at this rate." Jean retorted, still trembling with unvented rage. "But I can't get into a fight as long as I'm a part of this establishment."

"I think I know a good way you can sort this out." Heidi interjected. "We do have opportunities to trade blows openly, don't we? During hand-to-hand combat practice…"

"That's perfect." Eren said. He had just been about to make that suggestion himself. "I look forward to ripping you a new one." He told Jean with a devious grin.

—∞—

The next day, they were assigned different partners again, so while Marco put what Heidi had taught him to good use against Connie, Heidi found herself forced to work with Peter.

"You don't have to look so openly disappointed…" He told her, slightly chagrined.

"I'm not." She said stiffly. It wasn't disappointment on her face, it was disgust. At least she had a legitimate excuse to kick his butt now. "I'll play the rogue first, so do your best to try to take it from me."

'Well, whatever…' Peter thought as he braced himself for her attack. 'This is good chance for us to get closer…' As Heidi charged at him, he side-stepped her and tried to get behind her so he would have an excuse to wrap his arms around her. Heidi smirked. She had him right where she wanted him.

"Hah!" She thrust her elbow into his unguarded gut, taking a step forward before spinning around and head-butting him.

"Gah!" Peter gasped in pain as he fell to his knees, but after a moment he very bravely got up again. Determination was burning in his eyes. He wasn't giving up until he got to cop a feel!

"Tch!" Heidi clicked her tongue in annoyance and thrust the wooden blade at him. Peter quickly grabbed her wrists, but he was completely caught off guard when she placed continued by taking another step forward and placed her free hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she kneed him hard in the diaphragm.

"_!_!" Peter grunted as he the wind was knocked out of him. He let go of her and started to collapse to the ground, but she wasn't finished yet. Heidi clasped both hands around the hilt of the wooden knife and slammed the butt of the sword down in between his shoulder blades.

_CRACK._

"Aaaghh_!_!" Peter cried out in agony as plunged to the ground, landing face-first in the dirt. The commandant nodded to himself in approval as he walked past. Heidi Trumbauer had her definitely inherited her father's talent for close combat. That had been Odd's specialty.

'She's destroying him…' Eren thought as he and Annie watched from a distance, almost feeling sorry for Peter. She wasn't the only one. "… Hey, Annie? Is it just me… or is Jean actually exerting himself?" He asked aloud.

"… Looks like it…" Annie answered calmly. "Not that he wants to become a good soldier or anything… He just wants to be able to kick the crap out of you."

"You don't say… Still, he's serious about his close combat training now." Eren stated as they looked on. Annie was silent. "But hey, am I good kicker or what?" He asked on a lighter note. "I picked it up from watching you, but it worked out great."

"That was hopeless." Annie said, suppressing a laugh. His technique was way too sloppy. "A complete train wreck."

"Why… where did I get it wrong?" Eren asked, confused. He took Jean, down didn't he? Annie looked down for a moment.

"… If you like that technique so much…" She smiled slightly. "Maybe I can teach it to you?" She offered, glancing back up at him.

"Uh, thanks, but I'll pass." Eren said bluntly without the slightest bit of hesitation. "Those kicks in the legs hurt, you know?" Annie stared at him as a wind swept over the plain. Here she was, going out of her way to teach him one of her father's favorite techniques, and he had the guts to turn her down…?

"Come on." Annie said with an eerily calm expression on her face. "You don't have to hold back one bit." She stated, emphasizing her point by kicking his legs out from under him without warning.

"_!_!" Eren hit the ground hard with harsh thud.

"Ohh!" Heidi said as she gave Annie a round of applause, impressed. She had walked over to see what they were up to while Peter was out of commission and had arrived just in time to see that masterpiece. She could tell by the way Annie moved that she had completely mastered the technique. "So you're the one Eren learned that from. It's a great move. Would you mind teaching it to me?"

"… Only if you teach me some of those grappling moves and joint locks I saw you using the other day." Annie answered after taking a moment to think it over. At least someone here appreciated good martial art techniques when they say them.

"Deal." Heidi said with a grin, shaking on it.

"I wouldn't mind… learning some grappling techniques…" Peter moaned weakly from his spot on the ground as he struggled to raise his head. There was a river of blood flowing from his busted nose.

_"No way."_ Heidi retorted flatly. She had a feeling he'd enjoy it too much. Annie was beginning to suspect Peter was a masochist.

_—∞—_

**Winter of 847**

As part of their training, to help build strength and confront any fears they might harbor towards heights or falling, all of the cadets were ordered to practice rock climbing on the face of a cliff using only the bare minimum gear required. They had to set up their own lifelines as they went. Having already been put through similar training by her grandfather to be able to retrieve lost goats in the mountains (you wouldn't believe the trouble they could get themselves into if left on their own for even a moment), Heidi was already leaps and bounds ahead of all the others. She was nearly at the top when she heard someone below her scream. She looked down and saw that Peter was falling. Normally his life line should have saved him, but he hadn't hammered the climbing pitons in deep enough, and they were pulled out as he fell. Peter was plunging to his death.

"!" Heidi gasped when she realized everyone else was too panicked and inexperienced to help him. There was no choice, she'd have to do it herself. But she had already moved her lifeline up too far. She couldn't use it to belay that far down… Furrowing her brow, Heidi quickly spun around and unhooked herself, running down the face of the mountain with gravity's pull.

"Heidi_!_!" Her friends yelled in shock as she flew past them.

"Give me your hand_!_!" She yelled at Peter as she came upon him, reaching out with one of her own while she removed the ice axe from her belt with the other. Peter thrust his hand out to her and wrapped his hand around her wrist as she locked hers around his and dug the pick of the axe into the side of the cliff. Everyone held their breathe as they watched the two of them slide safely to a halt, stopping with only six feet from the bottom to spare. Peter stared up at Heidi, stunned. Despite everything she had said… she had just saved his life… Maybe there was hope for him after all?

"Heidi_!_!" Sasha cried, throwing her arms around her friend, once they were reunited at the top. "I'm so glad you're okay_!_!"

"Okay, okay…" Heidi said calmly, patting her on the back. "You can have my bread from dinner tonight."

"That was crazy…" Eren said, still amazed she had managed to pull it off. "I can't believe you risked your life like that for _Peter._ I thought you hated him..."

"Yeah, he's a creep." Heidi stated bluntly with a straight face. "But they say even an insect has half a soul…" Poor Peter flinched in shock behind her as he was running up, tripped, and face-planted in the snow. An insect… she thought of him as an _insect_…

"…" They all stared at her. That was so cool… but so harsh at the same time, that they didn't know how to respond.

'I think Heidi just delivered the finishing blow…' Armin thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Night of the Graduation Ceremony**

* * *

**850**

Today was the day they put everything they had learned to use to demonstrate their abilities in a series of final tests that would decide whether or not they qualified for graduation.

"Pick up the pace! Run, you lead-footed laggards!" Shadis ordered as the cadets ran through the rain on foot, carrying all of their gear, while he followed on horseback. "What's the matter, Arlelt? You're the only one who's lagging behind! Is that load too heavy for you_!_? Should I make an exception and let you drop your gear_!_?" Armin didn't answer. He was doing his best to keep running, even though his body was begging him to slow down and lighten the load. "If this was a real mission, you'd be titan food by now!" Shadis told him as he picked up the pace, leaving him behind.

"Ha… Da… Damnit…" Armin panted. He couldn't fail here!

"Give me that, Armin!" Reiner whispered as slowed down to run next to him, grabbing his pack.

"Reiner…" Armin said, surprised.

"You're gonna fail at this rate! We're being graded today!" Reiner whisper-yelled.

"But… you'll get points marked off too if you do that…" Armin whispered back.

"Then make the grade without getting found out! Before I change my mind!" Reiner retorted lowly.

"…" Shadis kept silent as he rode his horse, but he already knew what was going on just behind him. 'Reiner Braun…' He thought as he observed them out the corner of his eye. 'Strong-willed, with a solid constitution. Most adept at gaining the trust of his comrades.'

"I refuse to be a burden!" Armin said lowly, gritting his teeth. "Even if it costs me my life!"

"What the_!_? Hey_!_?" Reiner exclaimed as Armin grabbed his pack back and forced himself to pick up the pace, forging ahead despite the pain.

'Armin Arlelt. Subpar physical aptitude by a soldier's standards…' Shadis thought as Armin pushed past him. 'But allegedly a genius when it comes to theoretical courses. Should he ever find his own niche… Then, probably…'

Next up was target practice. The cadets were to maneuver through a wooded area using their 3DMG and exterminate the 'titans' located within. Jean, Annie, and Bertolt all closed in the same target. Annie and Bertolt struck simultaneously, cutting all the way through, while Jean's strike was much shallower. The senior instructor with silver hair and glasses recorder their scores as he observed from a platform near the target.

_Annie Leonhart. She strikes with a perfect penetration angle… her blows carve deep into the target. She's a solitary type, and solidarity doesn't come easy to her.  
Bertolt Hoover. Highly proficient in various hand-to-hand combat styles… He seems to have great potential… However, he lacks in self-confidence and tends to leave it to others whenever it comes to showing some assertiveness.  
Jean Kirstein. Highly competent with the 3DMG and highly skilled at using it efficiently. He's also good at assessing his situation at any given time, but is far too prompt to unsheathe his sword. He is also prone to sparking conflicts._

'Damnit! Annie and Bertolt again…' Jean thought, furrowing his brow. 'Forget about cutting deep, I just can't compete…! I'll just have to spot the titans first and score points that way!' "If I don't make it into the Police, no one will!" He shouted, using more gas to leave the others behind in his dust. "_!_!" Jean spotted a large silhouette through a gap in the trees and made a beeline for it. 'Here it is…' He thought, getting ready to strike as he closed in on the target. 'Now it's _my _turn to…_!_?' He gasped when someone else shot ahead of him. 'Connie…_!_! _That asshole…'_

'Following him was a good idea. Thanks a bunch, Jean!' Connie thought with a smirk as he closed in on the target, leaping from tree to tree. Just as he was about to strike, something flashed past him, and the next thing he knew, there was a chunk missing from the target's neck. "Wha… Sasha_!_!" He shouted incredulously when he saw who it was.

"Yaaay_!_!" Sasha cheered, throwing her hands up in the air to celebrate her successful 'kill'.

_Connie Springer. Good balance. Especially good at making tight turns. But he's slow on the uptake, and his grasp of strategy is less than perfect.  
Sasha Braus. Lightning fast with an uncanny intuition. But her eccentricity makes her unfit for group operations._

"I've been tailing you from above, Connie, and it was worth it!" Sasha shouted as she bounced back up on her line.

"Goddammit!" Connie cursed, frustrated that she had managed to use his own tactic against him do effectively.

"Damnit! Go follow someone else!" Jean yelled at them.

"You hear that, Sasha! Stop following us!" Connie shouted as they both ignored Jean and kept after him. Meanwhile, Mikasa, Heidi, and Eren had located their own prey.

"Here they come." Another instructor said, signaling for his partner to shift the targets into gear. As the targets began to rotate and turn towards them, Mikasa and Heidi sped up, striking so fast they looked like little blurs next to the targets. Mikasa's cuts were a couple of centimeters deeper, but Heidi didn't lose to her in accuracy or speed. They finished off both targets within seconds, careful to leave just enough space on them for Eren, who was right on their tail.

'Damn!' Eren thought, gritting his teeth in frustration, when he saw how shallow his cut was compared to theirs. The girls were performing so extraordinarily that it was making him look bad. Why couldn't he beat Mikasa at least once?

_Mikasa Ackermann. A prodigy who excels in the most difficult courses. Completely proficient in every area. She's an unprecedented genius, deserving nothing short of the top grades.  
Heidi Trumbauer. Highly proficient in every area, particularly all types of close-combat and efficient use of the 3DMG. She has no trouble taking charge when necessary, but prefers to leave that responsibility to others when given a choice. A selfless individual who is able to set aside personal differences for the sake of a mission, she is well suited to group operations. However, what truly sets her apart is her ability to instantly adapt to almost any situation. With every challenge, she grows stronger, improving rapidly. Her potential for growth appears to be limitless. Although not quite on Ackermann's level at the moment, without a doubt, the day she will surpass Ackermann is fast approaching.  
Eren Yeager. No particular talent aside from his excellent close-combat skills. But he's been slowly but steadily improving his grades through outstanding effort, and his sense of purpose is stronger than anyone else's._

"That was low, folks." Jean complained while all they rested outside the forest once the test was over, taking advantage of the opportunity to rehydrate.

"?" Connie said, wondering what he was talking about.

"I'd spotted that target before you." Jean reminded him.

"Low, you say?" Sasha asked loftily. "What a half-baked thing to say, Jean. Since when does one need to show manners when stealing someone's prey?"

"That's right. It's your fault for having it stolen." Connie added defiantly.

"Sheesh… Your hunting yokel logic makes no sense to me!" Jean muttered disgruntledly, scratching his head.

"They're saying it's 'survival of the fittest'." Heidi explained helpfully as she finished emptying her waterskin in to her mouth. Although there was, in fact, a certain etiquette for hunting… That was the essence of nature's law; the reality of this world.

"I knew that!" Jean snapped, wishing they would all either apologize or shut up and let him brood in peace.

"Oh, well… we should be thankful everyone made it through the exam without a scratch." Marco said, trying look on the bright side.

"That's true…" Heidi agreed. "But, Marco, I think you were holding back too much."

"She's right." Eren said, frowning slightly in confusion as he thought about it more. "You've been finding the targets first, but you'd leave them to someone else… Don't you want to enter the Military Police? You need a top score for that…"

"Yeah…" Marco said, rubbing the back of his neck. "To improve one another's skill, we definitely need to compete, I believe. But no matter what… I can't help but considering a real battle situation. As in, since I'm the slowest and all, I should try to draw the titans' attention while the rest strike at them from behind. Though it was kind of pointless, seeing as this test was about measuring our offensive capability…" He explained with a self-depreciating smile. "To think I want to join the Military Police… I've always looked up to it." The others all stared at him in awe.

'He's so pure…' Heidi thought with a mollified smile. She hoped that honorable personality of his would survive the corruption of the inland politics.

"I see… You're what one might call a natural leader." Eren said thoughtfully.

"Huh?" Marco said, surprised.

"Sounds like the right job for you, eh?" Eren continued with a smile, while Heidi nodded in approval. "With that efficient thinking, the attention to detail… I won't mind joining a team if you're the one who's running it."

"Same here." Heidi agreed with a grin, patting Marco on the back.

"I want in on your team, too." Sasha said with a smile. "Sounds like a good survival plan."

"If… If you say so…" Marco said a little nervously, blushing bashfully. It was nice to hear that everyone believed in him so much, but…

"The Battle Planification Trainees' Squad in Trost, huh?" Jean mused. "Count me in with Marco, then. I could use the good luck. I don't want to be in the same squad as some pointlessly suicidal asshole." He added, referring to Eren. "I wouldn't survive even ten seconds."

'Ah, but what a glorious ten seconds it would be…' Heidi thought with a dash of dark humor and a Cheshire cat grin.

"Wait a minute… you talking about someone in particular?" Eren asked Jean, feeling chagrined for some reason. He'd better not be talking about _him_.

"Make a guess. I'm sure you can figure out who I mean." Jean retorted sarcastically.

"Take it easy, you two." Marco said a bit nervously, trying to calm them down before things got out of hand again.

"?" Connie said, wondering who on earth Jean could possible be talking about.

"Here we go again." Sasha remarked wryly. "Jean and his roundabout declarations of love…"

"Can it, Potato Girl…_!_!" Jean snapped with a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"… I thought everybody'd forgotten about that!" Sasha exclaimed, flinching in shock at her old nickname.

"Sorry, but I don't think anyone could ever forget _that_…" Heidi commented with a wry smile.

"Hey, Jean? I don't think there's anyone out there who goes by the name 'some suicidal asshole'?" Connie finally said, earning a small laugh from Heidi, even though he was being perfectly serious.

"… You shut up too, Connie." Jean retorted sharply. They didn't have to wait too much longer before their instructors announced that it was time to head back and began leading the return march.

"Ugh… I'm tired…" Jean groaned, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally, thanks to those idiots.

"… I think you'd make a better leader, Jean." Marco said thoughtfully as they walked together.

"Me?" Jean asked, surprised. Was that come kind of joke? "You can't be serious. Courage ain't no quality of mine. What makes you think that?"

"Well…" Marco said a bit hesitantly. "Don't take this the wrong way… but you…"

Later that evening, all of the cadets who scored enough points to graduate were gathered for their graduation ceremony.

"As everyone knows, 107 years ago… the entire human race, save for us… was devoured by the titans. Following that, our ancestors constructed mighty walls that the titans couldn't get over… and thus, successfully secured a safe, titan-free domain. That is, until five years ago… I'm sure many of you were present there… five years ago, when tragedy struck again." The head of the Cadet Training Corps said, bowing his head in memory of all those lost as he continued to deliver his speech. "We have paid the price for a hundred years of peace with tragedy. Given the sense of crisis at the time, we were ill-prepared to cope with the sudden appearance of the Colossal Titan… As a result, we were forced to abandon our outer wall, Maria. Humanity's territory has shrunk down to the limits of Wall Rose, within which we stand presently. Even as we speak, it is very possible that this Colossal Titan… might tear down the wall to come at us any second now. Whenever that time does come, your duty will be to assist the manufacturers… and give your lives to stand against the titan threat! _Dedicate your hearts!_!"

"Yes, Sir_!_!_!_" The cadets shouted back as one, saluting proudly.

"Today, you have completed your military training. I will now announce the ten among you who have obtained the top training results. Come forward if I call your name." He told them, removing the list from his pocket. "First: Mikasa Ackermann. Second: Heidi Trumbauer. Third: Reiner Braun. Fourth: Bertolt Hoover. Fifth: Annie Leonhart. Sixth: Eren Yeager. Seventh: Jean Kirstein. Eight: Marco Bodt. Ninth: Connie Springer. Tenth: Sasha Braus. That is all."

"Tch!" Ymir clicked her tongue in disappointment, scowling. She had thought slacking off might help Krista get into the top ten, but it looked like that wasn't enough…

'I've made it here at last…' Heidi thought with resolve and determination smoldering in her cool, blue eyes. 'It's humanity's turn, now… This time, we'll show the titans what it feels like to be the hunted, and why... humans are the most _dangerous_ prey!'

"Now that you've completed your training… you have three choices." The head of the Training Corps continued. "The Garrison, which reinforces the walls, thereby protecting all of the towns. The Survey Corps, prepared to sacrifice their lives outside the walls by defying the titans in their own domain. And the Military Police Brigade, which serves under the king by policing the people and maintaining order. Of course, out of you raw recruits, the only ones who can apply directly to the Military Police, are the top ten cadets who were previously named. Soon, I'll be asking you which branch you want to be assigned to. But as of right now, the 104th Trainees Squad is officially disbanded! Dismissed!"

"Yes, Sir!" The graduating cadets responded enthusiastically. Time for the after party!

That night, the cadets were treated to a glorious feast in one of the military dining halls in town.

"Yes!" Connie cheered excitedly as he clinked tankards with Sasha. "Now I'm going to be in the Military Police!"

"No more worrying about food!" Sasha exclaimed ecstatically.

"Lucky bastards, making it into the top ten!" Peter grumbled as he pulled up a chair near Jean and Marco. Heidi was getting farther and farther away from him… "I'm sure you're gonna join the Military Police Brigade, right?"

"Huh? That goes without saying!" Jean snapped, as if anything outcome was out of the question. "Why the hell else would I have aimed to crack the top ten_!_?"

"I'm going with the Military Police, too." Marco said brightly as he raised his own tankard to take a drink. "Getting to work near the king… It's an honor_!_!"

"Are you still playing the goody-goody, Marco?" Jean asked as he grabbed his friend's head and pushed it down into his cup.

"Pfft_!_!" Marco sputtered as the beer splashed in his face.

"Tell me how you really feel. You can't wait to get into the interior, right?" Jean said with a devious smirk. "We can finally escape this shitty, suffocating front-line town_!_! A safe, comfortable life is waiting for us in the interior, right_!_?" He boasted excitedly, banging his fist on the table.

"Wha… You…" Marco stuttered, taken aback, as the people around them began to mutter unkind things. "Sh-Shame on you! At least, I'm not…"

"Oh, sorry! My bad! I forgot you're an honor student!" Jean said carelessly. "But what would you guys do?" He asked, challenging all the haters.

"Is he drunk?" Heidi asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow, as she watched the scene he was making from her table. Jean was being even noisier than usual.

"I don't know. How can you tell when you're drunk?" Sasha asked. She knew Heidi's grandfather sometimes let her and Jacob have a sip of vine here and there, supposedly to help build up an immunity against its effects.

"Well, you see these two tankards?" Heidi said, pointing at the two tankards sitting in front of her on the table. "My grandpa said that when it looks like there's four…"

"But there's only one." Connie said, making her stop short. The only tankard in front of her was hers, the one she had just set down a minute ago.

"…" Heidi stared at the space on the table in front of her. She slowly slid her hand across the space, passing right through the first, phantom tankard and stopping when it hit the second, solid one. She also noticed that she appeared to have two hands as she did this. "But… I've only been drinking cider…?" She said, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Heidi, the cider is spiked… How much did you have?" Armin asked, concerned.

"… A lot_._" Heidi admitted, feeling giddy. "So,_ this_ is what it's like to be drunk…" She mused with a wry smile. It felt kind of nice… No wonder her uncle was always drinking back in the day… She was going to have to be careful not to become an alcoholic.

"I mean, getting the chance to live in the interior, it's almost unheard of, right_!_?" Jean continued, while poor Marco lowered his head in embarrassment, looking as though he was beginning to regret his seating choice. "Or given the choice, would you rather stay here in this 'human stronghold', or whatever they like to call it_!_?" There was a heavy silence.

"Well…" One of the guys spoke up at last. "… None of us asked to be born in this border town. So if it meant not having to cower in fear of the sound of titan footsteps…"

"Good answer…" Jean said, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "You'd all like to go to the interior, right? So… how about you guys?" He asked Annie and Bertolt, who were sitting right across from him and Marco.

"I'm applying to the Military Police Brigade." Bertolt replied.

"Me too…" Annie answered. "… But I don't want anyone to think I'm like _you_." She added, narrowing her eyes at Jean.

"Hahahaha!" Jean laughed as if she had said something funny. He was definitely drunk.

"Hey…" Eren said, standing up abruptly.

'Uh-oh…' Heidi thought as she took another sip from her tankard.

"You said the interior is comfortable…? Until five years ago, _this_ town was part of the interior, too." Eren reminded him, furrowing his brow. "Jean, you don't have to go to the interior. I mean, isn't the interior of your brain soft enough for you?"

"Bahaha!" Heidi burst out into laughter as she leaned back in her chair, nearly tipping it over, as Reiner snorted and beer shot out of his nostrils, showering his closest neighbor in a spray of alcohol and snot.

"Uwaaa!" Armin cried out in surprise and disgust.

"S-Sorry!" Reiner apologized as he tried to dry off the poor kid using his napkin.

"Eren…" Mikasa said quietly, reaching out to grab his arm in an attempt to stop him. "Don't."

"…" Jean furrowed his brow as he watched the touching scene. Why did Mikasa even bother with that loser? What was so great about _Eren!_? "Are you trying to say… that I'm an idiot, Eren?" He asked. "… Well, I'm not. I'm looking at reality… more than anyone. Four years ago, twenty percent of the population was sent out to recover territory stolen by the titans. An all-out attack was launched… and most of them ended up walking straight into a titan's mouth, swallowed whole. How many more would we have needed to retake our land?" Jean asked seriously. "For every one of them that we defeated, an average of thirty humans died. However, the number of titans who dominate this planet is a lot more than 1/30th of the human race. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out. For humanity… there is no such thing as achieving victory against the titans." An awkward, heavy silence fell over the room. The atmosphere had become suffocatingly dismal. Jean let out a sigh.

"Look, it's like a funeral in here, thanks to you." He told Eren.

"So what?" Eren asked defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Besides, you're the one who went and said all that depressing stuff." Heidi added, playing with her fork.

"Heidi, don't help." Mikasa said, wishing the sassy redhead hadn't lost the filter on her mouth along with her sobriety.

"Huh? Were you two even listening to me?" Jean asked Eren and Heidi, chagrined.

"So what you're saying is, 'I don't think we can win, so I'm giving up.'" Eren said, proving that he had understood everything completely. "Tell me… What's so good about giving up? Is it better to escape from reality, to the point where you're throwing away your hope?"

"Sounds like the howling of a loser to me. It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it's about the size of the fight in the dog." Heidi remarked, bouncing a pea off of her plate and catching it in her mouth. "… In the first place… it's a given that we'd lose to the titans in material terms. I mean, do we know for sure titans cover the whole planet? How can we, when we don't even know what's out there_!_? We've let ourselves become caged by our fear! Humanity used to know so much, but now we've become so ignorant! If we want to defeat the titans and regain the outside world, the first thing we need is more knowledge about our enemy. Knowledge is power! Humanity used to know so much, but now we've become so ignorant! We've gotten too good at running away. The Head of the Training Corps said it at the disbanding ceremony, didn't he? That the Colossal titan could reappear and break the wall at anytime… Why place so much faith in something that can be so easily broken? Is that how you want the human race to go out? With our tails tucked between our legs, cowering in a self-made cage?"

"Right. That's exactly what I'm talking about…" Eren said, taking over. "One of the causes of our defeat four years ago was our ignorance about the titans… We lost then, but the information we gained is definitely a step in the right direction. It gave us hope. And yet you're going to give up on developing strategies to fight them? Do you want to be titan food that badly? Give me a break." He said strongly, furrowing his brow. "I… I have a dream… it's to exterminate the titans and leave this cramped, walled-up world. My dream is to explore… the outside world." Heidi stopped playing with her fork and looked up at Eren.

'I see, so Eren also…' Heidi knew they probably wouldn't be able to kill off all the titans within their lifetime, but one of the things she most wanted to see before she died… was the sun setting on a horizon without any walls.

"Ha!" Jean laughed cynically. "What the hell are you talking about_!_? You must be the one with the soft noggin!" He sneered, tapping his head.

"What_!_?" Eren said incredulously, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Look at them! Not a single person here agrees with you!" Jean shouted.

"I agree!" Heidi blurted out, raising her hand.

"Shut up, Suicidal Idiot #2_!_!" Jean snapped. "_You_ don't count!"

"… Okay… You're right…" Eren said, surprising her. He could see that from the defeated looks on everyone else's faces. "I got it… So shove off to the interior, already…" He told Jean, glaring at him at he grit his teeth in anger. "Having a defeatist like you here on the frontline is bad for morale!"

"Of course, that's just what I'm gonna do, but you wanna go outside the wall, right?" Jean retorted sardonically, glaring back. "Go on ahead! The titans you love so much are waiting for you!"

"Pain in the ass…" Eren said.

"Heh…" Jean smirked. Without warning the boys suddenly took a swing at each other, punching the other in the jaw.

"Ah..." Heidi said. They finally did it…

"Whoaaa!" Someone at another table exclaimed.

"There they go again_!_!" Someone else yelled.

"Come on, Eren! What's wrong_!_?" Jean asked sarcastically as they traded blows, enjoying the fact that he seemed to have the upper hand at the moment. Now that he had finished getting graded, nothing was holding him back. "If you're having trouble against me, a mere human… you're not fit to go up against the titans_!_! Eren's glare intensified.

"Of course not, idiot_!_!" He shouted giving Jean a swift kick in the ribs.

"Ngh…_!_!" Jean grit his teeth against the pain and threw another straight at Eren, who artfully dodged his attack and simultaneously delivered a powerful punch to his gut.

"… Ugh…_!_!" Jean's face twisted in pain, feeling as though he was about to throw up.

'I taught him that one.' Heidi thought proudly as she took another sip from her tankard.

"Uh-oh…" One of the guys watching said, wincing sympathetically as he held his own gut, imagining how much that must have hurt.

"Hey! That's enough!" Reiner shouted over the roar of the crowd. "Jean, did you forget what Eren's hand-to-hand combat score was_!_?" Jean ignored him and took a swipe at Eren, who jumped back to avoid it. "It was the top of our class!" Eren charged forth to attack again, but never made it.

THUP! _GRAB._

In one fluid movement, Mikasa broke Eren's momentum and hoisted him over her shoulder.

"… _!_? Mikasa_!_?" Eren exclaimed, completely caught off guard by her sudden interference. "P-Put me down_!_!" He shouted indignantly, flailing his arms and legs in a futile attempt to escape as she carted him away. The juxtaposition was so comical, that everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"Unless… was it second best to Mikasa?" Reiner mused as he watched her carry him around as easily as if he were a baby.

"Wrong. He was third best..." Heidi corrected him as she finished draining her tankard. "After me."

"Oh, right…" Reiner said, wondering how he could have forgotten that. This girl, despite being so small, was a real powerhouse, too…

"Jean, if you guys keep making a racket, the instructor's gonna come by!" Franz said, stepping in to help break up the fight with a smile.

"Hey… Franz…_!_! This is the highlight of the farewell party! Don't stop me_!_!" Jean yelled belligerently.

"Um, no… I think we've all had our fill." Franz insisted with a wry smile.

"Let's stop fighting amongst ourselves!" Hannah added from behind him with teary eyes.

"Hey! Put me down, Mikasa…! Heidi, say something to her!" Eren said, blushing furiously out of embarrassment as everyone continued to laugh at his expense.

"Haha! Nice catch, Mikasa!" Heidi called out with a traitorous laugh. "Take him away!"

"Wha…_!_?" Eren exclaimed, flinching in shock. There went his last hope of stopping Mikasa!

"Tch." Jean clicked his tongue in frustration. "You're lucky, Eren! Having Mikasa to carry you around like that!" He shouted Jealously as they headed out the door. "I bet you're planning to drag her into the Survey Corps just the same way!" Mikasa left carrying Eren without even so much as backward glance. "Tch! Whatever, you guys are crazy for wanting to join the Survey Corps!" He snapped, rounding on Heidi. "A bunch of suicidal idiots!"

"Damn straight, I'm an idiot!" She retorted proudly, surprising him and everyone else in the room. "Because there happens to be a special kind of idiocy that runs in my family, and I've inherited it from both of my parents! We're all too stupid to run away! We refuse to know when we're beat. I've learned the hard way that if you're going through hell, you should keep going, because if you give up, then you'll be stuck there forever… But if you keep going, even though you might have to endure even more pain and suffering before it's over, you just might be able to find a way out. I'm not giving up till I make it through. You can't make a problem go away by pretending it doesn't exist. If you want something no one's ever had before… you've got to be willing to do things no else has ever done before. And something else I've learned… Hunting, with my grandfather, I came to realize… It's not the strongest of the species that survives, or the most intelligent. It's the one that's the most adaptable to change. _Everything_ is food for something else. We humans are no exception… However, we have something the other animals don't… the ability to fight back." Heidi finished determinedly, resting her head on her hands. She didn't care that the others were staring at her. She had just said what she felt. It was probably the most many of them had ever heard her talk before. Her lids were growing heavy. She was starting to fall asleep in her chair. Peter cautiously sidled up to her.

"You're right, Heidi…" He told her. She was clearly drunk, which meant her better judgment would be compromised... "I completely agree with you, so… Let's kiss and make up!" He suggested with a grin, going in for the kill.

_SMACK!_

Heidi's hand reflexively shot out to block his face with her fist. Peter was on the floor in seconds. It was an instant K.O.

"Not that drunk…" She mumbled as she drifted off to sleep with her head on the table.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Even though I'm part of the school of though that thinks this story is set somewhere in Germany/Europe, I'm going to use the Japanese titles 'Heichou' and Heishichou for Levi, because I like that it's a title that literally means "leader of the soldiers" (Heishichou_)._ This title is often shortened and translated as "Captain" (Heichou), and it is the title that he is commonly referred to by his comrades, but he isn't really a captain. He's a squad leader, hence, I like Heishichou better, even though it sometimes gives me issues with my dyslexia.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"You're right, Heidi…" He told her. She was clearly drunk, which meant her better judgment would be compromised... "I completely agree with you, so… Let's kiss and make up!" He suggested with a grin, going in for the kill._

_SMACK!_

_Heidi's hand reflexively shot out to block his face with her fist. Peter was on the floor in seconds. It was an instant K.O._

_"Not that drunk…" She mumbled as she drifted off to sleep with her head on the table._

* * *

**Chapter 9: Her First Battle**

* * *

"What? Eren collapsed last night_!_?" Heidi exclaimed when she was filled in about what she had missed the previous evening while she, Mikasa, and Hannah walked over to meet the guys before heading over to get their assignments for the day. From what Mikasa had just said, it sounded like Although she'd never experiences such a severe reaction herself, it sounded like Eren was struggling with some sort of repressed memory problem similar to her own, because he had cried out in pain and fell unconscious right after they ran into Hannes, and he asked him if he remembered anything about his father's mysterious disappearance. "… Even though Jacob and I were both right there… I can't remember my mother's death from five years ago, either. I get really bad headaches sometimes when I feel like I'm about to remember something important… and my grandpa said that was a sign I wasn't ready for it yet. He said some things were best left forgotten, and it was my body's way of protecting myself. He said something really terrible might happened if I forced myself to remember, so he wouldn't even let Jacob talk to me about it… I think it might be the same for Eren. Something really traumatic must happened the last time he saw his father, so he probably shouldn't try to force it, especially if his body is having such violent reactions…"

"… You may be right." Mikasa said thoughtfully, furrowing her brow slightly. That theory really worried her, though… Eren had watched a titan devour his mother, but that only made him more determined to kill them… She didn't even want to think about what could possibly be so horrible that _Eren_ would have to block it out of his mind.

"O-Oh, look!" Hannah said cheerfully with a slightly awkward smile, trying to brighten the gloomy atmosphere. "It's Franz and the others!"

"Hey, Eren. Feeling better?" Heidi asked, greeting him with an innocent smile, as if the heavy conversation they'd just had about his mental health had never happened. "I heard you collapsed. Did Jean really hit you that hard?" She teased.

"And I heard _you_ had too much to drink and fell asleep in public, like an old man." Eren retorted with a smirk.

"Touché." Heidi conceded, feeling a little chagrined. When he put it that way, it sounded like she was in danger of turning into her late uncle.

"Here they come_!_!" A man shouted excitedly further down the road. "The main unit of the Survey Corps is here_!_!" Everyone in the road immediately moved to the side, making way for the approaching unit and their supply wagons.

"Commander Erwin_!_! Give those titans a real thrashing for us_!_!" Another man shouted. The commander of the Survey Corps was clam and dignified, looking straight ahead as he led the rest of the squads on his white horse. A flash of red caught his attention out the corner of his eye. He glanced over slightly and saw Heidi. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as the memory of a certain man's face overlapped with hers in his mind. He had heard from Shadis that Odd Trumbauer's daughter had just graduated from the Training Corps. 'That red hair… could it be that girl…?' He wondered, staring at her as he passed, but Heidi was too busy being distracted by her friends to notice.

"Hey… Look!" Eren said excitedly as he pointed at a young man towards the rear of the line who had short, black hair, sharp grey eyes, and an intimidating aura. "That's humanity's most powerful soldier! Levi Heishichou! They say he's as strong as an entire brigade_!_!"

'Hm… so that's the famous Levi Heishichou.' Heidi thought, wincing slightly as she held a hand to her forehead when she felt a sharp pain upon seeing his face. That was strange… this normally only happened when she felt like she was about to remember something, but there was no way she could have ever met someone so famous…

"…" Levi spared the group of star-struck kids a brief glance out the corner of his eye as he passed. It was initially Eren's comment that had gotten his attention, since he had been so loud, but there was something familiar about that redhead… At first he thought it might have been because she vaguely resembled Isabel because it was rare to see such deep shades of red hair, but looking closer, their faces were nothing alike. Her eyes were blue, and her hair color was too bright. "Tch. What noisy little brats..." He muttered under his breath as the crease between his perpetually furrowed brows deepened.

"Good thing those wide-eyed kids don't know what a clean freak you are…" Hange remarked with a wry smile. "They'd be in for a rude awakening…"

"Hmph." Levi couldn't care less.

"Wow, this nothing like five years ago." Heidi commented, taking noted of all the smiling faces in the crowd that had gathered to watching "People actually seem to feel hopeful about the Survey Corps." There seemed to be more people around too, even though Trost was a border town.

"That's because everyone's cheered up since then." Hannah said. "Nothing's happened in five years. Can't exactly revert to what things were like a few years back, though."

"The wall's been reinforced quite a bit in the meantime!" Franz added. "Maybe the Colossal Titan won't show up anymore."

"Yeah." Hannah agreed with a smile. That'd be great.

"Quit sounding like such a wuss_!_!" Eren snapped angrily. "Stupid couple_!_! This is how…"

"Co-Come on… a couple…" Hannah said shyly as she held up a hand to stop him, blushing shyly as she looked away.

"Us, a matching pair…" Franz said, blushing bashfully, as he covered his mouth. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Eren!"

"…" Eren grit his teeth in annoyance while Armin and Heidi smiled wryly in amusement. Their reactions were so in sync… Eren had hit the nail on the head. Those two were _definitely_ a couple.

They made it just in time for roll call. They were all assigned to canon maintenance on the wall surrounding the town, but ended up in different groups. Heidi was with Marco, Jean, Daz, Peter… and some guy that she had never met before. Sasha was looking kind of shifty for some reason when they passed her in the hall on the way to their station, and Heidi noticed there was a bulge in her jacket.

'She's stolen food again, hasn't she…?' Heidi thought wryly, concerned for her friend's future. Well, at least she had learned enough not to try eating it out in the open… Heidi decided to just pretend she didn't see anything, hoping Sasha wouldn't get caught if she didn't call any attention to it. She _saw_ nothing, and she _knew _nothing.

"By the way…" Marco said as they were worked on cleaning out a couple of the canons on the east side of the wall together. "I heard that after the speeches you and Eren gave yesterday, more people are thinking of joining the Survey Corps." He told Heidi.

"Hmph. I guess yours was pretty eloquent…" Jean remarked with a sardonic smirk. "For the ramblings of a drunk." Daz and the other guy snickered.

"Alright, alright. I get it, already. I can't hold my liquor. Why can't you people just let it go?" Heidi deadpanned, chagrined. "Anyway, what happened to your face?" She asked Peter in an attempt to change the subject. For some reason, he had a black eye.

"What do you mean, 'what'_!_?" Jean asked incredulously. "You—mph!" He was cut off when Peter abruptly clapped a hand over his mouth and pulled him aside.

"Don't you dare tell her!" He hissed, nervously in a low voice so she wouldn't hear. "If she finds out I tried to take advantage of her, it won't end with just a punch this time_!_!" Jean deadpanned. He could totally see that happening. It was a long fall from the top of this wall…

"?" Heidi said, wondering what they were whispering about.

"Nothing…" Jean answered a bit too slowly for her liking. "Forget I said anything."

"Okay…?" Heidi said dubiously, raising an eyebrow. They were definitely hiding something… Which meant that whatever had happened to Peter, he probably deserved it.

"Hey, are you done with that canon, yet?" A member of the Garrison, who had cropped black hair and bristle on his chin, asked as he walked up to inspect their work.

"Yes, Sir!" The six of them answered dutifully, as they saluted their superior. It looked like they had finished just in the nick of time.

"A-Ah…_!_!" Daz suddenly gasped, trembling, as he dropped his rag as he and Marco stared over their shoulders with wide eyes, looking extremely pale and shocked.

"What? What are you staring at?" Their superior asked, wondering what their problem was. Marco's hand shook as he raised it and pointed at something behind them. He, Heidi, Jean, and Peter all turned to see what it was and froze. Standing there, in front of the south side of the wall, directly in front of the gate, was the same 60m tall monster that she and Peter had seen five years ago just before all hell broke loose in Shiganshina.

"I-It's back..." Peter said, quivering with fear. "The Colossal Titan_!_!"

"Sir! What are our orders_!_?" Heidi asked urgently, quickly snapping out of her stupor when she realized the danger they were in.

"Th-The Colossal Titan Response Operation_!_!" The soldier said, jarred back into reality by her question. "You trainees get back to HQ, now_!_!_!_" He ordered them as he started running towards the gate along the top of the wall. "Make sure they sound the alarm_!_!"

"Yes, Sir_!_!" They shouted immediately jumping off of the wall, using their 3DMG to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

_CRASHHH!_!

"_!_!" Heidi gasped as she spared a glance back over her shoulder and saw the Colossal Titan slam his hand across the top of the wall, destroying the canons. Eren, Sasha, and Connie were over there…! She furrowed her brow and grit her teeth, but she kept going. They had either dodged, or they hadn't. Either way, worrying about it or abandoning her duty wasn't going to change that. For now, she had to report in with the others and hope Sasha and them would make it back safely.

_RINNNG! RINNNG! RINNNG!_

"Unfortunately, the Survey Corps, which includes our most seasoned combats among its members, is out on exploration duty. We stationary troops are the only ones currently repairing the walls and preparing for ambush." One of the ranking officers in charge said urgently as everyone scrambled to reload on gas and finished prepping their gear while the more experienced Garrison soldiers started evacuating the citizens. "You trainees have successfully graduated. That makes you full-fledge soldiers! I'm holding high hopes about your performance in this operation!" Locked and loaded, Heidi scanning the room of rushing and anxious cadets, trying to spot Sasha or Eren, and make sure they were okay. It was then that Mikasa ran past her.

"Ah, Mikasa!" Heidi called out, darting through the crowd to catch up with her. "Have you seen Eren, Sasha, or Connie_!_?" Mikasa shook her head, looking worried.

"It's gonna be fine, Hannah. I'll look out for you, even if it's the last thing I do." Franz promised a scared Hannah seriously as they rushed past the couple. Mikasa furrowed her brow, wishing she could find Eren, and then, she spotted him. He was with Armin, over by the gas tanks.

"Over there!" She said, pointing them out to Heidi as they picked up the pace. "Eren!"

"You okay, Armin_!_?" Eren asked worriedly, as if completely oblivious to the girls' arrival.

"I-I'm fine!" Armin said, even though he was visibly pale and shaking so bad that he couldn't finish fixing his gas tank properly. "I'll calm down soon enough!"

"…" The girls stared at them. Sure they were worried about Armin after seeing what a wreck he was, but to think Eren would just ignore them like that… especially, Mikasa.

"Hey! Eren!" Heidi yelled, in his ear, getting his attention.

"What_!_?" He demanded incredulously.

"I'm glad you're all right! What about Sasha and the others?" She asked anxiously.

"They're all fine!" He answered to her relief. "Samuel was injured, but everyone's alive."

"Hey, you, with the red hair!" A member of the Garrison shouted as he stalked over to them purposefully. "You're Heidi Trumbauer, right? There's no time to explain. I need you to come with me." He ordered, turning to walk away without waiting for her reply they couldn't wait for her to finish being briefed with the other graduates. They needed the front guard in place, now! A bead of nervous sweat slid down the side of Heidi's face as she glanced back at her friends one last time before following him. "Take care of yourselves!" She shouted at them as they all stared after her. All of them were equally confused by this turn of events. Why had she been singled out like that…?

"St-Still! We have an 8m high hole at the site, and it takes time to fix that sort of thing! And that big rock supposedly meant to block the entryway…" Heidi heard Armin start to ramble nervously as she left the room.

"Sir, what about the briefing?" Heidi asked as she followed the soldier who had called her out. For some reason, he was leading her away from the HQ.

"Like I said, there's no time." He told her, furrowing his brow. The rearguard had wanted the 1st in the 104th class for themselves, so now he was stuck with Miss 2nd Place. The only consolation was that she was supposedly able to adapt to a crisis faster than the rest of her class. "The drill's the same as during your training. Simply put, our job is to hold off the titans for as long as possible. I'll explain in more detail on the way, but you've been assigned to aide us in the vanguard as part of the advance team. You'll be first on the front lines." Heidi's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly steeled her nerves. "This new graduate will be joining us to fill in for Stein." He informed his squad as they joined them. "Now let's go, people! We need to be there, _yesterday!_!"

Like he said, if it was the same as her training, then Heidi already knew the drill. As a member of the advanced team, it would be her job to hold off as many of the titans as she could, for as long as she could, while the rest of the vanguard and the other teams finished getting ready. The plan was simple and straightforward. She would kill as many titans as possible so Sasha and the others would have fewer to fight. So, as they rushed to the front line using their 3DMG to drastically increase their speed while running along the rooftops, she used the time to examine the backs of the new teammates that she didn't even have time to hear the names of. The men's hairstyles looked incredibly similar from the back, but they all had different hair colors, so that made them easier to identify in a flash. The only other woman in the group was tall with a strong and slender frame, and her medium-length hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had the same hair color as her late mother, strawberry-blonde.

"A deviant!" The leader shouted as a 14m-class titan came charging towards them at a run before they could join up with the other squads in the advance team. He, the flax-haired man, the strawberry-blonde woman, and Heidi all managed to dodge in time, but the brown-haired man was swatted away by the deviant's flailing hand like a fly, and the black-haired man's legs were caught in it's teeth. The brown-haired man died instantly, but the black-haired man wasn't so lucky.

"AAAAAGH_!_!" He screamed in agony as its gnashing teeth snapped his spine and bit him in half. The titan suddenly screeched to a halt. It turned and stared Heidi in the eye with a look that made the blood in her veins turn to ice.

'Th-This…' Heidi thought, breaking out in a cold sweat, as a special type of fear began to creep over her, the kind she hadn't felt in years. '_This_… is what it feels like… to be_ 'prey'_…_!_!'

"Move_!_!_!_" The squad leader yelled. "Damn!" He cursed. This was why he had been against having a rookie on his team! "Asta, cover me!" He shouted at the strawberry-blonde woman, leaping from the roof to save Heidi, when she just continued to stand there as the titan's open mouth came crashing towards her.

"!" He and the others gasped when she dodged at the last second by darting to the side and letting out a burst of gas, using her momentum to propel herself past the side of the titan's face in enough of an arc to swing around its head and fire a grappling hook into the back of its neck and reel herself in for the kill, slicing out a deep chunk of the back of its neck, as its face crashed into the spot on the roof where she had just been standing only seconds ago. The more experienced soldiers stared at her in shock, stunned by her flawless attack. As the building collapsed in on itself from the weight of the dead titan, Heidi released the grappling hook and maneuvered herself over to a more stable location, landing next to the squad leader.

"Forgive me, Sir." She said evenly, apologizing for freezing up. She looked up with grim determination burning in her blue eyes. "It won't happen again."


	10. Chapter 10

**Previously:**

_"!" He and the others gasped when she dodged at the last second by darting to the side and letting out a burst of gas, using her momentum to propel herself past the side of the titan's face in enough of an arc to swing around its head and fire a grappling hook into the back of its neck and reel herself in for the kill, slicing out a deep chunk of the back of its neck, as its face crashed into the spot on the roof where she had just been standing only seconds ago. The more experienced soldiers stared at her in shock, stunned by her flawless attack. As the building collapsed in on itself from the weight of the dead titan, Heidi released the grappling hook and maneuvered herself over to a more stable location, landing next to the squad leader._

_"Forgive me, Sir." She said evenly, apologizing for freezing up. She looked up with grim determination burning in her blue eyes. "It won't happen again."_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Levi Heishichou**

* * *

They could hear the cannons firing nonstop as they continued forward. They were almost at the gate.

'I can't believe this girl is fresh out of the Training Corps…' The flaxen haired man, Sigi Bernhardt, thought, watching her as he brought up the rear. He had been on this squad for four years, and even he had been scared shitless after seeing his fellow squad members get killed right in front of him, yet she had somehow managed to recover from the shock in the midst of being attacked by the titan and used that instant to take it out… Just what kind of life has she been—_!_?' His eyes widened in shock as another titan suddenly came charging at them from the side with its mouth wide open. Before any of them could so much as blink, it closed its mouth around Sigi, completely enveloping him. Asta stared in shock as her fiancé was swallowed whole.

"Shit!" The squad leader cursed with wide eyes. They hadn't seen it until it was too late, because it was the same height as the buildings lining the street! He was so distracted by Sigi's unexpected death, that he almost didn't see the next one either. "8m-class, front_!_!" He shouted, quickly firing a grappling hook in to the roof across the lane to pull himself out of the way before he flew straight into its mouth. Meanwhile, Heidi took care of the 10m titan by releasing two quick successive bursts of gas to spin herself around and fired a grappling hook into the side of its neck to reel herself in and used its shoulder as springboard to fling her body past the back of its head before it could turn, digging her swords into the flesh on the back of its neck and dragging them to carve it out while the wire contracted. She released the grappling hook as the dead titan started to fall to the ground and landed on a neighboring rooftop. She glanced back at the others just in time to see Asta, who was too stunned by her fiancé's sudden death to think straight, get snatched out of the air by the 8m-class.

"Astaaaa_!_!" The squad leader yelled as he and Heidi both rushed forward to save her, but they were too late. It was over in less than a second, but to Heidi, it felt like time had stopped. Her eyes widened as the titan's blood-stained mouth lowered itself over that head of strawberry-blonde hair… _the same hair as her mother's_. Heidi's pupils constricted as a searing pain tore through her brain, and the horrific memory that had been sealed away deep within her subconscious came crashing back to the surface like a torrential tidal wave, baptizing her in with such an indescribable pain and hopelessly raw sense of loss that something inside of her snapped. Heidi's eyes dilated, and she let out a mighty roar of anguished fury that chilled the squad leader to the bone.

_"UURRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!_!" He watched with wide eyes as she shot past him, lopping off the titan's other hand as it tried to grab her with one blade, as easily as if she had been slicing through a stick of warm butter. With the other hand, she punched the titan square in the nose and knocked it off balance. She followed through with a flip and delivered a roundhouse kick to its head, sending the 8m titan crashing to the ground. _"AAAAHHHH!_!" Heidi screamed with bloody tears forming in her eyes as she landed on the 'V' of its neck and proceeded to behead it, tearing through flesh and bone. Before the headless titan even had time to hit the ground, she was already leaping back into the air. She landed on top of a nearby building and began darting from roof to roof without expending any more gas, using only the muscles of her legs. The Squad leader landed on another roof and stared after her as she charged forward alone, too stunned to move. That girl… _What was she!_?

The only thing moving Heidi's body as she forged her way through the hellish swarm of invading titans, canon fire, and human screams waiting for her at the hole in the gate was pure instinct. She her mind was trapped in a disembodied, fugue-like state as the nightmare of her mother's brutal death played in her head on a seemingly endless loop. Forward was the only direction she could move in. Like a wounded beast, she lashed out at anything that came close.

And then, something amazing happened. Amidst all of her pain and despair, another memory slowly emerged, the memory of an important lesson her mother taught her one of the times she had tried asking about her father.

_"Heidi, you're probably too young to understand what I'm about to say, but… the strange, strange thing about that devastating kind of loss is that… life actually goes on. When you're faced with a tragedy, a loss so huge that you have no idea how you can live through it, somehow the world keeps turning, the seconds keep ticking…" Her mother said sadly, gently stroking the red hair she had inherited from the father she could barely remember. "You're gonna lose people, Heidi, people really important to you… and realize, that no matter how much time you spent with them or how much you appreciated and loved them and told them so, it will never seem like enough. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal… but love leaves a memory no one can steal. What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose… all that we love deeply becomes a part of us. So remember, if anything ever happens to me, try not to feel too lonely, because even if you can't see me anymore, I'll always be with you."_

Warm, salty tears flowed freely down her face, washing away the blood on her cheeks, as she became aware of what she was doing. She wasn't alone. Her mother had been right there, all along… and Jacob and Grandpa were still waiting for her back home!

_'No…'_  
The thought echoed through her mind as her body continued to move on its own. She didn't know how long she had been fighting. She didn't recognize the area around her. All she knew as that she wasn't in Trost anymore. She was somewhere inside Wall Maria.  
_'No…'_ She thought as kicked away one of the many titans that had surrounded her and punched another with a hand that was gripping a broken and dull blade.  
_'This isn't right.._.' That wasn't how you were supposed to fight a titan. She wasn't even killing any of them. She was literally fighting tooth and nail just to keep them at bay. At this rate, she was going to die.  
_'No… I can't die here…_

_ …because…  
I still haven't seen the world outside yet…!_!' She thought, gritting her teeth as she finally forced herself back into control of her body.

"Hah!" Heidi yelled as she thrust her dull and broken blades into the eyes of the nearest titan, releasing them, as she swung herself up and onto the top of its head, reloading with a pair of fresh blades as she landed. Without having to look, she sensed from the disturbance in the air currents that something was approaching from behind. Heidi shot a grappling hook into the tower next to the 7m-class titan in front of her, reeling herself out of harm's way a split second before a 13m titan crushed the head of the 9m titan she had just been standing on between its teeth. She released the grappling hook as she kicked off of the forehead of the 7m titan and launched herself at the exposed throat of the 9m titan with her swords above her head, spinning like a corkscrew, as she shredded her way through flesh and bone, drilling straight through its throat and the throat of the 13m titan behind it, beheading the 10m that popped up as she emerged through the hole she had bored through the back of its neck without even flinching. 'This is strange… Since when have I… been this strong_!_?' She wondered, easily kicking away a 5m as it tried to bite her, and launched a grappling hook into a nearby tower as she ejected the dulled blades and reloaded again. Even though she was back in control of her body, she still felt strange, like a storm was brewing just below the surface of her skin. Unlike before when she felt no pain, but was oblivious to everything around her, this time she was fully aware and able to sense everything happening around her. She could tell where the titans were without having to look by the feel of the air currents. She could see what their next move would be by the tiniest twitch of their muscles. Her own muscles seemed to have increased in efficiency by at least 40%. Heidi took down three more titans as she reeled herself in. Whatever was happening was both frightening and thrilling at the same, but there was no more time to questions it. She had only taken six down, there were currently still eleven surrounding her, and more of them were undoubtedly on the way.

–∞–

Meanwhile, further inside Wall Maria, the Survey Corps was doing their best to carry out their own mission within the titan-infested territory.

"You just… watch…" A member of the Survey Corps said through ragged breaths he raised one of his swords with a trembling hand, stabbing the titan that was chewing on him in the eye. "The ones who will be… the last ones standing… are humans! All of you… he's gonna… Levi Heichou is gonna…"

_FWSSSSH!_

Levi shot a grappling hook past the back of the titan's neck, and spun himself in a spiral, carving a wedge of flesh out in one fluid motion as he reeled himself in. As the titan's corpse fell, and he landed on the roof, Levi spotted the corpsman in his mouth. It was one of _his_ squad members, another one. But he couldn't stop now. There were still other titans in the area that he had to deal with first.

'One on the right… Two on the left…' He thought as he did another quick scan of the area from the rooftop.

"Heichou_!_!" Petra said urgently as she landed on the roof beside him, followed by several more corpsmen. "The reinforcements have arrived_!_!"

"Petra, you take care of the soldiers below! The rest of you, take care of the titan on the right!" He ordered before launching himself off the roof. "I'll take care of the left!"

"Eh…_!_?" Petra gasped as she watched him fly off into battle alone again.

"They're the all the same…" Levi said as he approached the two titans on the left, firing a grappling hook into side of a building behind the closet titan. "With those ridiculous faces…" He propelled himself forward, using his momentum to pull himself into a tight turn as the wire hit the titan's throat and started to wrap around it. He reeled himself in and lopped its head off at the nape of the neck in a lightning fast attack, releasing the grappling hook, as he kicked off of its headless neck and launched himself at the remaining titan. He quickly ejected his dulled blades, flinging them into its eyes to blind it. The titan groaned in pain as it and instinctively raised its hands to its stinging eyes as he landed on its head. "Hey, keep still. How am I supposed to… lop off a clean slice of you?" He asked it coolly with a dark look in his eyes as he drew a set of fresh blades. Without further ado, Levi leaped into the air and did a flip, carving out the flesh on its nape with his swords as he rolled against the back of its neck. He landed on the neighboring roof as the titan's corpse collapsed to the ground below. "_!_!" Levi noticed some of its steaming blood had gotten on one of his hands. "Tch." He clicked his tongue in annoyance and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it off. "Damn, what a mess…"

"Hey…" Levi said as he landed on the ground, arriving to check on the wounded corpsman he had saved earlier. Petra was kneeling beside him, doing her best to keep pressure on his wound. The corpse of the titan that had attacked him was already burned up and was halfway through evaporating. "Petra, how is he?"

"Heichou…" Petra said with a trembling voice as she glanced up at him. "His bleeding… I can't stop it." Their comrade was dying.

"Hei…chou…" The man said weakly through labored breath. Levi was surprised he could still talk in that condition.

"… What is it?" He asked, kneeling down beside him.

"W-Was I helpful to… mankind at least?" The dying corpsman asked with a trembling voice and tears in his eyes, straining to raise his hand and reach out to him. "Or… will I die… without having ever been useful at all…?" Levi stared down his fellow soldier, and grabbed his bloody hand, holding it in his own.

"You've done more than enough." Levi told him. "And from now on… your commitment will give me strength. I promise you, I will… I'll eradicate the titans_!_!" He pledged, furrowing his brow.

"Heichou… He's gone…" Petra said sadly, looking down with tears in her eyes. Levi's eyes widened slightly.

"…" He released the soldier's hand, setting it down carefully. "… Was he listening… all the way until to the end…?"

"Y… Yes… I think he heard you." Petra replied as they stared down at their dead comrade. "Because… He looks like he's sleeping without worry."

"… That's good." Levi said. He got back on his feet, preparing to enter battle again, when Erwin and his squad rode up.

"Levi! We have to pull back!" Erwin said urgently.

"Eh_!_?" Petra gasped as the crease between Levi's brows deepened.

"Pulling back?" Levi asked with a frown, gritting his teeth. "I'm still far from my limits. Are you trying to let my men die in vain? I assume you have a reason for this."

"The titans have begun heading north as a group." Erwin stated grimly.

"_!_!_?"_ Levi and Petra gasped in alarm. No way… That was…

"It's a repeat of five years ago." Erwin said, thinking the same thing. "Something's wrong in town. The wall… may have been destroyed…"

–∞–

"Nng!" Heidi grunted as she leaped from one titan to the next, kicking a 5m-class's head aside so she could land on its shoulder and swing herself around to get at the back of its neck. She was out of gas, she was out of blades, and she was surrounded by titans. Every time she tried to move closer to the north, she was cut off by more titans. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised, given that they were all trying to get to the town, but it still pissed her off. This battle was beginning to take its toll on her body. She was exhausted, and her muscles were beginning to burn in protest. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up, but she knew she had to keep going. The moment she stopped fighting, the titans would close in and devour her.

'Don't stop!' She told herself anxiously, determined to survive. 'Keep moving_!_! If you stop, then you'll die_!_!' And then, she heard it, the familiar sound of galloping horses. At first, it was so faint she thought it might have been an auditory hallucination… but as she continued to fight, the noise grew louder and louder, until it was like a rolling thunder echoing through the abandoned city.

"Whoa! There's so many of them~!" Hange exclaimed as she and the rest of the returning Survey Corps drew closer.

"Tch." Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance as the crease in his brow deepened. So that was why they hadn't been running into any titans on their way back, they were already there.

"H-Heichou!" Petra called out, staring up at the amazing and terrible scene before her in shock. "… I think there's a person in there_!_!"

"_!_!" Their eyes widened when they realized she was right. A small flash of brown and red was darting about, and everywhere it went, a titan fell. The closer they got, the more they realized just what an extraordinary chain of events they were bearing witness to. Unless they were all suffering from some sort of mass hallucination, a young girl was beating off a group of over six titans… _unarmed_. They were all stunned.

'That red hair… _It can't be_….' Erwin thought, furrowing his brow. "It is…_!_!" He gasped as they got a clear look of Heidi's face as she spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to the head of a 7m-class titan to keep it from biting her.

'It's that brat from earlier…' Levi thought as his eyes widened with recognition when she punched away another titan. Watching her fight, he suddenly had a flashback to five years ago, remembering when he had to punch a much smaller redheaded brat when she charged at him after he had saved her from a titan. Was that _her_…?

"Levi! Mike!" Erwin said urgently, calling out to his two strongest fighters.

"Yeah, we know." Levi said calmly, kicking in his heels to make his horse go faster so he could pull ahead. Squad Leader Mike Zacharius followed suit.

"Over here_!_!" Erwin shouted up at the redhead.

"_!_!" Heidi said as she spared him a brief glance, surprised to see such famous people coming to her rescue. Thank God for the Survey Corps! Heidi grit her teeth as she threw herself from the head of 5m titan just in time to avoid the teeth of a much taller one as they smashed into its skull, making a desperate leap for a nearby roof. There was a window jutting out of the attic. If she could get inside, then she could use the stairs to get down, to—_!_? Heidi's eyes widened as a shadow loomed over her while she was still in midair. A gust of hot, moist breath that smelled like rotting meat washed over her as an 8m-class titan closed its mouth around her.

"_!_!_!_" The others gasped. Levi cursed as he and Mike launched themselves from the backs of their horses to attack, cutting down every titan that turned and came at them. Levi landed on the ground, planning to only touch down before leaping back into the air to kill the 8m titan, when it suddenly doubled over and puked. Heidi rode the wave of vomit out of its mouth, sliding to a stop only inches away from him as the mixture of bile, blood, and human remains washed over his clean boots. The smell was _horrendous_. Before the titan could get back up again, Mike carved out the back of its neck while Levi stared down at the unbelievable scene that had literally been dropped at his feet. Heidi was not only in one piece thanks to having been captured whole, but she was alive and breathing, though she looked exhausted and barely conscious. She coughed and gaged, unable to hold back anymore after the hell she had just been through riding that vomit comet… and threw up all over the boots of humanity's strongest soldier. Levi stared down at her and the mess on his boots with a dark expression on his face as she began to lose consciousness. Heidi would never forget the first words he said to her as she passed out from exhaustion.

"… _Disgusting."_


	11. Chapter 11

**Previously:**

_Heidi was not only in one piece thanks to having been captured whole, but she was alive and breathing, though she looked exhausted and barely conscious. She coughed and gaged, unable to hold back anymore after the hell she had just been through riding that vomit comet… and threw up all over the boots of humanity's strongest soldier. Levi stared down at her the mess on his boots with a dark expression on his face as she began to lose consciousness. Heidi would never forget the first words he said to her as she passed out from exhaustion._

_"… Disgusting."_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Damage Control  
**

* * *

'H-H-_Heichou's shoooes…!_!' Petra and Auruo cried internally, mortified on his behalf. Petra didn't know who she felt more sorry for… their leader for having to endure one of the worst things you could possibly ever do to a clean freak like him, or the poor trainee who had just humiliated herself in front of the whole Corps…

"Wow! That was amazing~!" Hange exclaimed as she reached Levi and Heidi first. "In more ways than one!" She added as she dismounted to examine the unconscious girl, wading into the large puddle of mixed stomach contents without hesitation. Her eyes were shining with excitement. She'd never seen someone survive being eaten like that before! Not to mention the way she had been beating them back with her bare hands...! How did she do that? What did you have to eat to get that strong?

'In more way than one is right…' Mike thought as he landed on the ground a safe distance from the huge mess, covering his nose and mouth. He didn't blame that crazy kid one bit for not being able to stomach the smell of that titan's vomit. And Levi was showing an _incredible_ amount of self-restrain after what had just happened.

"How is she?" Erwin asked as he joined them.

_"Alive."_ Levi answered sharply, with a small vein throbbing on his forehead, as he did his best to remove as much vomit as possible from his leather boots. It was no good. The things had become unsalvageable.

"Mm. There's no major injuries. It looks like she's just fainted from exhaustion." Hange said, nodding in agreement. This girl looked pretty good for someone who was just eaten by a titan. Not only was she still in one piece, but she didn't appear to have any broken bones or open wounds, aside from her knuckles, which were rough and raw from all the punching she had been doing. "I don't think she'll wake up for awhile, though…"

"That's good." Erwin said, feeling immensely relieved as he let out the breath he had been holding. To think they would find Odd's daughter all the way out here… how did she end up this far outside the wall? Were things that bad in the town? "We'll take her with us. Put on one of the supply wagons. I have no idea what she was doing all the way out here, but it seems the chances that the wall may have been broken just increased exponentially. We can't afford any further delays." He looked north and then glanced south, back the way they had come. There actually seemed to be fewer titans ahead than there were behind them now. He eyed the empty scabbards and gas tanks on her gear. Was this her doing? Just how long had she been fighting? "Levi, take a small advance team with you, and go on ahead." He ordered decisively. "We'll be right behind you with the supply wagons, taking care of the titans attacking from the rear."

"Understood." Levi said, glancing back at his squad and quickly selected some of its fastest and most reliable remaining members as he mounted his horse. "Petra, Auruo, Erd, Gunther, Rina, and Gerold! You're with me. Let's go!"

"Yes, Sir!" They answered dutifully, following their leader without hesitation.

Levi finished killing another one of the surprisingly few titans they had encountered on the way and smoothly landed back in his saddle. He and his advance team had the wall within their sights.

"_!_!" Petra and Rina exclaimed in alarm when they saw the huge, gapping hole in the wall. It really was a repeat of five years ago!

"Damn!" Auruo cursed. At this rate…

CRASHHHHH_!_! _FWOOOM!_

They had to shield their eyes as a strong shockwave of wind and dust was sent up by what sounded like a massive explosion. When they looked again, squinting to see through the settling dust, they realized they could no longer see the town through the hole. Somehow, they had managed to block and seal up that huge hole in an instant! It seemed too good to be true…! Levi immediately launched himself off the back of his horse the moment he was within range and fired and a grappling hook into the wall, maneuvering himself up and over until he could see what was happening inside, trusting the others to follow. He was met by the sight of two titans looming over two kids who were standing in the shadow of the corpse of a titan still clutching at the ridiculously large boulder that had been used to plug up the hole in the wall. He attacked without hesitation, killing both of the attacking titans almost instantly.

"_!_!" Armin exclaimed in surprise, still holding Eren tightly, as both titans' corpses fell to the ground in front of him with loud thud, watching with wide eyes as the person who had just saved them landed effortlessly on the back of one of them. The speed with which they had attacked was incredible! "Mikasa_!_?" He called up questioningly.

_SHHMP!_

"Huh_!_?" Armin cried out again in surprise and confusion when Mikasa abruptly landed next to him. Wait, if Mikasa was there, then who…_!_?

"That's…" Mikasa said, staring up in amazement as the green cloak that was fluttering in the air around the shoulders of the man who had just saved her friends began to settle and fall flat against his back, revealing the winged crest of the Survey Corps.

'The wings… of freedom…' Eren thought, watching the amazing scene before him through partial swollen eyes. Levi Heishichou glanced back at them over his shoulder.

"Hey… kids… mind telling me… what the hell's going on around here?" He asked as the rest of his team arrived, repelling down the wall to join him.

The Survey Corps and the Garrison's Engineering Division showed up soon afterwards, endeavoring to make Wall Rose impervious to titan intrusions once again. Humanity had repelled the titans' advance for the first time, which was nothing short of an amazing accomplishment… but the amount of people lost to that end were far too many for actual rejoicing to take place.

Within hours, the news of the breach of the wall and the results of the Battle of Trost reached every city inside human territory. And just like five years ago, the people living behind the innermost walls were thrown into great confusion. The official announcement from the government was printed as follows:

_The southern gate, located in Trost District, was destroyed by the Colossal Titan that appeared in front of it. In just one hour after that, the whole of Trost was overrun by titans. A desperate attempt to conquer the district back succeeded, and the breach in the wall was plugged. Presently, an operation to get the territory of the district cleared of titans is underway._

This announcement and the controversial news released by a certain merchant company that the military had been aided by a titan, spread like wildfire to neighboring towns and villages, along with a certain rumor of unknown origin…

–∞–

**Dauper Village**

Jacob happened to be in the main part of the village, trading some fresh goat's milk, homemade Brunost cheese, and eggs for some flour, cow's milk, and salt when the incredible news reached them via a man returning from the neighboring town.

"Hey, Jacob, have you heard_!_?" One of Jacob's friends asked excitedly, running over to share what he had just heard with him while he finished packing his purchases in the bags strapped to his horse's saddle. "This is an awesome turn off events! A titan appeared that's on our side! Maybe… we might even be able to take back Wall Maria!"

"What? No way! Are you sure you heard right?" Jacob asked skeptically.

"It's true! It's true!" His friend's younger cousin said, running up to join them. "My papa said lots of papers were saying the same thing! He also heard an incredible rumor about a girl who was able to fight off some titans bare-handed_!_!" Jacob froze when he heard that, suddenly flashing back to five years ago, when a titan killed his aunt.

_'Heidi…'_ He thought, clenching his fist. That's right… in her last letter, she had mentioned that she would be graduating… If they made the trainees fight as official soldiers… that would have put her right in the middle of that mess…_!_!

"Huh? Something wrong?" His friend asked, wondering why Jacob suddenly looked so serious and pale.

"I've got to go… The milk will spoil." He said, hoisting himself up onto the back of his horse. He gripped the reins tightly in his hands and took off into a gallop, barreling back up the mountain path to tell the old man what he had just heard. For once, he was glad that he had been born a cripple. If not, the old man wouldn't have let him take to horse into town so he would be able to make it back before dark. Living in such a hardy environment for the past five years had done wonders for him, but he still needed a cane to walk most days, and couldn't run to save his life… That was one of the reasons why Heidi had decided to join the military in the first place, because she didn't want him to have a reason to. She knew he'd probably be a goner if the titans ever got this far behind the wall…

"Grandpa!" He shouted for Heidi's grandfather as he reached the house. He carefully climbed dismounted the horse and hobbled over to the small barn on the side where they kept the animals as quickly as he could. "Grandpa!" He shouted again, bursting through the doors.

"What is it?" Tollak asked as he continued to go about his business, feeding the chickens.

"The wall around Trost was breached!" Jacob said urgently. Tollak stopped what he was doing and looked at him, giving the boy his undivided attention as he continued to speak. "They say the hole was sealed, and they're retaking the town, but… There's a rumor that a girl defeated some titans with her bare-hands_!_!"

"!" Tollak frowned, furrowing his brow. "I see… It would seem _'that day'…_ has finally arrived. " He said gravely. Heidi must have finally remembered the one thing that could trigger her 'awakening'. Tollak clenched his fists. He knew what he had to do… He just hoped he wasn't too late! "Take care of the animals while I'm gone." He ordered, pushing the bucket of feed into Jacob's hands as he passed him on his way out of the barn, making a beeline for the horse. There was no time to lose.

"What are you going to do?" Jacob asked anxiously.

"Damage control." Tollak replied as he took off, heading straight for Trost.

–∞–

The first thing Heidi noticed when she regained consciousness was the burning pain that seemed to be shooting through every muscle in her body, including some she didn't even know she had.

"O-_Owww…!_!" She cried out, wincing and cringing in pain. She couldn't even get herself to sit up. "Man, that hurts!"

"Of course it does!" A familiar voice remarked gruffly. "You fought non-stop for whole hour. What else did you expect?" Heidi's eyes widened as she turned her head to look at its owner.

"Grandpa!" She exclaimed, surprised to see him there. "Huh? Am I still asleep…?" She wondered out loud. Her grandfather stood up from his chair and approached her bedside. He raised his hand… and smacked her hard on the forehead.

"Does that answer your question, you little idiot?" Tollak asked tartly. "I went through so much trouble to get here, and that's how you greet me? Didn't your mother teach you to greet your elders with respect? You're such a handful!"

"If I'm an idiot, it's because you're always hitting me on the head!" Heidi retorted, chagrined. "The last thing I remember is finding myself in the middle of titan territory after Wall Rose was breached, and the Survey Corps showed up, and I… I…" Heidi froze and her eyes widened in horror as she realized just what she had done. "… I just puked all over humanity's strongest soldier…_!_!" She cried as she held her head in her hands, positively mortified. How could she do that to one of her future commanding officers_!_? Why did it have to be someone so famous_!_? Why, why, _why _couldn't she just hold it in_!_!_?_

"Heh. You threw up on that unfriendly brat?" Tollak asked, raising an eyebrow. "Good job." He praised her with the hint of a smirk.

"It's not 'good' at all!" She snapped, about to go off on a panicky rant about how disgustingly embarrassing it had been, when she realized the full context behind what he had just said. "Wait, a minute… have you met Levi Heishichou before?" She asked, blinking. "And why _are_ you here? It's dangerous! Come to think of it, where is 'here'? What happened? Is Jacob all right_!_?"

"Calm down." Tollak said forcefully, hitting her on the head again to shut her up so he could talk. "Don't ask so many questions at once. Jacob's fine. I briefly met that sour-faced brat when I went to have a chat with Erwin Smith about your 'circumstances'. And you're in the town neighboring Trost, behind the main part of Wall Rose, but it's safer than you think, because the battle's already over, and the hole in the wall's been plugged up. You slept through humankind's first victory against the titans." He stated bluntly. Heidi stared at her grandfather with wide eyes, stunned.

"… Ehhh_!_?" She exclaimed loudly in shock. They won_!_? For real_!_? And she slept through the whole thing_!_!_?_

"And before you ask, Sasha's fine, too. Though she was really shocked when they brought you back unconscious…" He added, chagrined, as he remembered how she and that Peter boy had made such a huge fuss in their relief to discover that she had managed to survive after hearing she had been assigned to the advanced team, which had been reportedly wiped out within minutes of the wall being breached. Heidi let out a sigh of relief upon having the safety of one of her friends confirmed. She hoped the others were all right…

"So, what happened? Why did you mean by my… 'circumstances'?" She asked just as the door opened. "!" She was surprised to see both Commander Erwin Smith and Levi Heishichou standing in the open doorway. Even though she knew the battle had ended, she had assumed the Survey Corps would be busy helping with damage control and dealing with the aftermath of the attack.

"About that… We'd like to have a word with you." Erwin stated calmly as they entered the room, having overheard her last question. Heidi tried to at least sit up and salute as a proper sign of respect, but her body wouldn't listen to her, and she ended up flopping uselessly back onto the bed. She couldn't help but notice that Levi was wearing a pair of very new and shiny boots. She had obviously ruined the previous pair.

"Um, I-I'm really sorry about your boots…!" Heidi blurted out nervously. "I'd like to reimburse you, or rather… _please let me pay for them._" She finished earnestly, hanging her head in shame, as she let out a dejected sigh.

"Hmph. It's his own fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Tollak huffed gruffly, earning himself an incredulous look from Heidi and a sharp glare from Levi.

"Grandpa… please _don't_ try to help." Heidi said grimly. If she didn't know any better, she might think he was doing it on purpose, but he was pretty much this rude and standoffish to everyone.

"…" Levi stared at her. She was so flustered, that her face had become an interesting mix of red and blue. Her apology was sincere, and it was obvious by how troubled she looked that she was seriously regretting her actions. "… It's fine." He said dismissively. "They were already ruined anyway, before you added your mess to it. But you really need to work on your aim." He added bluntly, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. "Besides, that isn't why we're here."

'Well, no… I didn't think it was…' Heidi thought, slightly bemused, but she was relieved that he didn't seem to be holding a grudge against her.

"We're here to discuss your future." Erwin stated seriously, taking a step forward. "Heidi Trumbauer… do you still wish to join the Survey Corps?" He asked. He knew he didn't have to lecture her about the dangers of scouting or the high death toll. She knew them all too well.

"… Yes." Heidi answered resolutely, furrowing her brow as she clenched her fists. Her eyes glowed with a soft, steady determination. Her body was trembling slightly from the memory of everything she had been through in her first battle, all of the great and terrible things she had witnessed. She knew the horror of having to watch titans eat people while they were still alive. There was no escaping that. She was going to do whatever she had to in order to prevent the people she loved from meeting that fate. She was going to fight to live, and to be free. And she was going to see the outside world with her own eyes before she died.

'Hmm… That's not a bad look in her eyes…' Levi thought as he quietly observed the situation.

"I see…" Erwin said, closing his eyes for a moment. She really was her father's daughter. "In that case, as previously discussed… I will take full responsibility for your granddaughter's wellbeing." He promised seriously as glanced at Tollak, looking the old man in the in eye.

"Huh? Wait a minute…" Heidi started to say, frowning slightly in confusion. 'As previously discussed'…? What was _that_ supposed to mean?

"Heidi." Tollak said gravely. "Let me tell you an old story…"


	12. Chapter 12

**Previously:**

_"… Yes." Heidi answered resolutely, furrowing her brow as she clenched her fists. Her eyes glowed with a soft, steady determination. Her body was trembling slightly from the memory of everything she had been through in her first battle, all of the great and terrible things she had witnessed. She knew the horror of having to watch titans eat people while they were still alive. There was no escaping that. She was going to do whatever she had to in order to prevent the people she loved from meeting that fate. She was going to fight to live, and to be free. And she was going to see the outside world with her own eyes before she died._

_'Hmm… That's not a bad look in her eyes…' Levi thought as he quietly observed the situation._

_"I see…" Erwin said, closing his eyes for a moment. She really was her father's daughter. "In that case, as previously discussed… I will take full responsibility for your granddaughter's wellbeing." He promised seriously as glanced at Tollak, looking the old man in the in eye._

_"Huh? Wait a minute…" Heidi started to say, frowning slightly in confusion. 'As previously discussed'…? What was that supposed to mean?_

_"Heidi." Tollak said gravely. "Let me tell you an old story…"_

* * *

**Chapter 12: Legend**

* * *

"Long ago, back when humankind used to cover the globe… there was a group of warriors from the North who were known for their invincibility on the battlefield." Tollak began. "They worshipped the ancient god Wôtan, and were reported to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury." Heidi already knew of Wôtan. He had appeared in many of the old legends and tales her grandfather had told to her and Jacob over the years. Wôtan had been a major god of their ancestors and was associated with war, battle, victory and death, but also wisdom, shamanism, magic, poetry, prophecy, and the hunt. Wôtan had many sons, the most famous of whom was the thunder god Thor. "This fury was called _berserkergang, _or 'going berserk'. Men who were thus seized performed things which otherwise seemed impossible for human power. With this was connected a great hot-headedness, which at last gave over into a great rage, under which they howled as wild animals, bit the edge of their shields, and cut down everything they met without discriminating between friend or foe. When this condition ceased, a great dulling of the mind and feebleness followed, which could last for one or several days."

'Like a wild animal… That certainly does sound familiar.' Levi thought, remembering the very first time he had encountered Heidi, during the fall of Shiganshina. The wild, wounded look in that little girl's eyes had been more beast than human.

"There were many who were able to attain this state through the ritual use of drugs or massive amounts of alcohol… but they were all merely the cheap imitations of the natural abilities of a certain clan, the Amundsens." Tollak continued. "Unlike the other berserkers, the source of the Amundsen clan's power was genetic. Once their ability to go berserk was unlocked, they could enter a berserk state through sheer will power, allowing them to increase their strength and sharpen their senses exponentially. When berserking was outlawed, the berserker warriors were sentenced to outlawry. Over the centuries, all organized berserker war-bands disappeared, until only the Amundsens were left. Unlike the other warriors, who had achieved their berserker powers through artificial means, they couldn't stop so easily. As outlaws, the Amundsens were forced to live and work as mercenaries. They kept to the shadows and were only known among certain circles… That was, until the titans came. With the appearance of such an overwhelmingly invincible enemy, humankind was suddenly in need of its own breed of invincible warriors again. Before the invention of the 3DMG, the Admundsen berserkers were the only ones strong enough to fight against the titans with any hope of victory, so they began to fight in the open again. Suddenly, the clan of mercenaries was hailed as heroes, and they became famous for their battle prowess and bright red hair, which made them easy to spot on the battlefield. Through many hard fought battles, they eventually discovered that a titan's head wouldn't grow back if they were beheaded at the nape of the neck. But this was easier said than done, and even with their help, humankind was fighting a losing battle. It was around this time when word began to spread that a city with impenetrable walls had been built to serve as a stronghold and safe haven for what was left of humanity. The Amundsen clan then offered their protection in exchange for space to create their own settlement inside the safety of the walls. At first they were well-received, but as time passed, and their popularity and influence with the people grew, the government came to fear their power and became paranoid of the possibility that someday, the Amundsens might think to use their extraordinary strength to carry out a coup. Before that could happen, they decided to put an end to the Amundsens… and the entire clan was slaughtered on the premise of being potential usurpers of the government. Or so they thought. What they didn't know was that the new bride of one of the men they had killed, a young woman by the name of Lisbeth, was away visiting a sick relative at the time, and she was already pregnant with his child. When she heard the news of what had happened to her husband's family, she quickly removed herself and retreated to live on the outskirts of a small hunting village, where she remained in seclusion with the child even after he was born, out of fear that he would be discovered and killed too if he possessed the ability to go berserk like his father. Since the name of Amundsen was dangerous, she reverted to using her maiden name… 'Trumbauer'. She was my mother, Lisbeth Trumbauer, your great-grandmother."

"…" Heidi stared at her grandfather with wide eyes. It was a lot to take in. She couldn't believe it… Not the part about being descended from 'berserkers', that part actually made sense since after what she had been through… But to think the government would slaughter an entire clan… Heidi's chest tightened at the thought. She clenched her fists. She had no idea their family history was so tragic. It made her heart ache for them.

"Any questions?" Tollak asked calmly, without betraying a hint of emotion.

"… Why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" She asked, furrowing her brow as she looked at him sadly.

"Because it wasn't necessary." Tollak replied, furrowing his brow as he looked away. The truth is, he had been hoping she would never need to know. "As long as you couldn't remember how your mother died, it wasn't necessary, because that was your trigger. When I heard from Jacob that he had seen you cry tears of blood back then, I knew. That's one of the signs. But he also said that you were knocked out before you could finish, which is why your memory was affected. Because you were defeated in that state, your body decided to protect itself from repeating that danger by sealing away the memory so it wouldn't happen again. If that seal ever broke, you would have picked up right where you left off. So, we decided to perpetuate the lie your uncle told you to protect you… But there's no need for that now, is there?" He asked, looking back at her.

"... No… I remember _everything_ now." Heidi said sadly, squeezing her eyes shut as tears started to form. "My mother… she sacrificed herself to save me and Jacob from a titan… I saw it all, even though she told me not to stop, to keep going without looking back… I saw my mother as she ran back to stop it, how she stood there and let it eat her… how her strawberry-blonde head disappear into the titan's mouth as it…" She trailed off, biting her lip, as she raised trembling hands to cover her face. "I couldn't save her…_!_!" She cried. Levi furrowed his brow. It was no wonder this kid was messed up. Tollak stared at her for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on her head. "!" Heidi flinched, startled by such an uncharacteristic display of affection. "A-Are you okay…?" She asked her grandfather as she furrowed her brow in confusion, genuinely concerned for him.

"Geez, you're such an ungrateful child." He told her, pissed off that she had returned his show of good will by gazing up at him as though she thought he was going senile. He should have just hit her.

"Takes one to know one." Heidi retorted smartly, earning herself a chop to the forehead. Ah, there was the strict hard-ass she knew so well. "You know, if you had just told me about what really happened sooner, I would have had more time to get over it before I had to enter battle, and I might not have snapped the way I did. I nearly died, you know."

"No, there was no guarantee that you wouldn't have 'snapped' anyway. Some members of the Amundsen clan would go berserk not only in the heat of battle, but also during laborious work if placed under enough stress. There was a good chance that just hearing about it would have brought back enough of the trauma you experienced back then to make you go berserk… and I didn't have enough confidence to be able to stop you without killing you if you did. Since they have no control over their actions, it isn't uncommon for berserkers to keep fighting until they die. You don't know how lucky you are to have survived for this long after 'awakening' at such a young age." Tollak explained grimly. He wasn't as strong as he used to be. There was an all too real possibility that he would have ended up having to shoot her in order to protect himself and Jacob. "Not everyone in our family could berserk. It's a trait only manifested by a select few even within the Amundsen clan. I can't do it, and neither could your father. There hasn't been a true berserker born into our family since _my_ father's generation. You're the first one in over ninety years." Tollak told Heidi.

'In other words… She's probably the first to be born with this ability since humanity hid behind the walls...' Levi thought, narrowing his eyes slightly. This old geezer was even older than he looked. "Your family history sounds very tragic and all, but if the only surviving adult was an outsider, and you aren't a berserker yourself, then how is it you know all of this? Isn't that a little too convenient?" He asked pointedly, earning himself a sharp look from Erwin, who for some reason seemed to trust the old man implicitly.

"There's nothing convenient about being slaughtered to the verge of extinction." Tollak muttered darkly, shooting Levi a glare, as he removed an old, thick, and heavy leather-bound book from his satchel. "It was all written down in this. It's a book my father gave to my mother when they realized she was pregnant, a sort of a guide for 'what to expecting when you're expecting a berserker'. She held onto it in case she ever needed it for me, and I held onto for my children." He explained before glancing at Heidi. "I didn't trust your mother with it, because she disagreed with our traditional lifestyle. The two of us never got along. I couldn't risk her throwing it away to spite me." The reason why his daughter-in-law had left in the first place was because she had been afraid that if they raised Heidi the way Odd was raised, then Heidi would end up just like her father, and Lena couldn't bear the thought of losing their daughter, too. "Everything you need to know, all of the remaining knowledge on the Amundsen clan berserkers, is in here." Tollak stated as he handed the old tome over to Erwin. "As promised, in exchange for helping Heidi… I'm handing this over to you and the Survey Corps as a demonstration of goodwill. It contains all of our clan's secrets, including a training method for learning how to enter a _controlled_ berserker state." He said meaningfully, glancing back at his granddaughter.

"Controlled?" Heidi asked, surprised "You mean, there's a way to _control_ it? Come to think of it… in the beginning, it felt like I was having some sort of out-of-body experience, but… halfway through, it was like I was suddenly back inside and back in control… and then it felt like… Um, why are you looking at me like that?" She asked her grandfather when she saw the stunned look on his face.

"Heidi… Are you saying you were actually able to take control of yourself in the middle of a rampage?" Tollak asked, amazed.

"Come to think of it… When I called out to her, she responded as though she understood." Erwin said thoughtfully.

"The look in her eyes was completely different from the kind of mindless animal you described earlier." Levi added. Unlike during their encounter five years ago, there had been a sharp intelligence shining in those cool and calculating blue eyes as she fought.

"… Did you suddenly feel like you could sense everything going on around you?" Tollak asked. "As if you had become hyper-sensitive to your environment?"

"Yes." Heidi said, a little surprised to hear her experience being described so well, even though she now knew he probably understood much more about whatever had happened to her than she did at the moment. "It was almost like I knew some things were going to happen before they even did. Like, when that titan tried to swallow me, I immediately realized Id' have a better chance of surviving intact if I didn't try to dodge and just gave the uvula-looking thing at the back of its throat a punch to make it gag."

"You mean… that was planned?" Erwin asked, surprised, as Levi furrowed his brow, grimacing in disgust. They thought she had just gotten lucky…

"Well, if I had dodged, I probably wouldn't have been able to get away fast enough without losing an arm or a leg…" Heidi said a bit sheepishly when she saw the strange looks they were all giving her.

"Hmph." Tollak smirked. "Is that so? I always knew you had what it took to become a true warrior if you tried." Tollak said proudly with a smirk. His granddaughter was a genius.

"You just said you thought I'd have to be killed not one minute ago." Heidi reminded him in a deadpan.

"That was then, and this is now." Tollak said gruffly. "Now I know you're one of the rare few with the talent for _bevissthet berserkergang_, which roughly means 'going berserk with awareness'. It's the highest form of berserking, during which you can remove not only your external limits, but your internal limits as well. Unlike the berserkers using the low _berserkergang_, who lose the ability to reason and fight without discrimination, those using _bevissthet berserkergang_ actually find their awareness heightened to the point where they can not only tell friend from foe again, but they have experience a sort of 'super intuition' that allows them to read their opponent's next move before it can happen. If you can master this ability, then you'll be able to fight alongside your allies as a berserker without being a danger to them or yourself. You'll also be able to chose when and where you go berserk for yourself instead of having to rely on outside pressure. And most importantly, you'll also be able to _stop_ yourself."

"Are you willing to undergo the training for this?" Erwin asked Heidi, glancing up from the tome, which he had already started to read. "It appears to be quite harsh." Heidi clenched her fists.

"I'll do it." She stated determinedly. She couldn't continue fighting the way she did when she lost control. She couldn't continue to put those around her in so much danger. "I'll do whatever it takes!" Erwin smiled. That was a good answer.


	13. Chapter 13

**Previously: **

_"Are you willing to undergo the training for this?" Erwin asked Heidi, glancing up from the tome, which he had already started to read. "It appears to be quite harsh." Heidi clenched her fists._

_"I'll do it." She stated determinedly. She couldn't continue fighting the way she did when she lost control. She couldn't continue to put those around her in so much danger. "I'll do whatever it takes!" Erwin smiled. That was a good answer._

* * *

**Chapter 13: What Must Be Done Now?**

* * *

'The daughter you left behind grew up well, Odd.' Erwin thought. "All right. We'll begin your training as soon as you've recovered. Until then, carry on however you normally would, and be careful when answering questions. If anyone asks what you were doing outside the wall, say that you got separated from your squad and chased out when you ran into a deviant and were unable to return soon after finding yourself surrounded by the titans inside Wall Maria." He instructed her, ready to leave and deal with some other pressing matters that needed his attention.

"But won't they discover I'm lying?" Heidi asked, concerned. "The squad leader I was with…"

"Every member of the advance team, with the exception of yourself, was wiped out within the first few minutes of the wall being breached." Levi stated matter-of-factly, watching as her eyes widened in shock. Their victory had come with a heavy price. "Besides, they have bigger fish to fry." He added as he and Erwin turned to leave.

"…" Heidi closed her eyes sadly as she thought about the squad whose names she hadn't even had time to learn before they died. "Grandpa, I know you said Sasha was all right, but are you sure you haven't heard anything about Eren and the rest?" She asked worriedly. Erwin and Levi froze in the doorway upon hearing that.

"Eren? Eren Yeager…?" Erwin asked as they glanced back at her. Heidi looked at them and was a little taken aback by how grave their expressions had suddenly become. "You know him?"

"Yes, he's a friend… Is something wrong?" She asked tentatively, furrowing her brow. "Did… something happen to Eren?"

"According to numerous reports, Eren Yeager… became a titan and sealed the breach in the wall." Erwin replied carefully as they gauged her reaction. Heidi was genuinely shocked.

"W-What…?" She asked, stunned. "But… Eren can't be a titan… He _hates _them." She said as the crease in her brow deepened. "He wants to wipe them off the face of the earth."

"How ironic." Tollak muttered under his breath.

"Be that as it may… It doesn't change the fact that it has happened." Erwin told her as he and Levi stepped back inside the room. "If you want to help your friend, I suggest you tell us everything you know about him, before it's too late."

"… Too late?" Heidi asked warily. She didn't like the sound of that.

"Your friend is going to be put on trial." Levi stated bluntly. "The Military Police want to dissect him."

"!" Heidi gasped. "Th-They can't!" She exclaimed, horrified. "Didn't you just say he saved everyone_!_? Titan or not, he's still our ally! I don't know what's going on, but if we have a human who has the ability to control a titan on our side, then isn't that a good thing? He might even be able to seal the holes in Wall Maria!"

"We think the same." Erwin said seriously, glad to hear they were already on the same page. "But it's thanks to the uproar over Eren's situation that they aren't looking too closely at yours." Heidi clenched her fists and grit her teeth.

"What can I do?" She asked, looking up at them with determination burning in her eyes. "Tell me. If there's something I can do to save Eren, then I'll do it!"

"You be quiet!" Tollak barked, delivering another swift blow to her head. "You're in no position to help anyone right now! Just keep your head down and your mouth shut!"

"No! I refuse to just sit back and watch one of my friends get killed just to save my own skin!" Heidi snapped back stubbornly at her grandfather before glancing up at Erwin and Levi with fire in her eyes. "If you're going to save someone, then please make it Eren!"

"And what will you do?" Levi asked calmly as he held her smoldering gaze. "Are you planning to die in his place?"

"I don't want that either!" She answered with a straight face, perfectly serious. "But I'll manage somehow… I'll think of some—_!_?" Heidi winced in pain when her grandfather delivered an extra sharp chop to her head, resulting in a pain that made her feel as if her skull was about to split.

"Why can't you just shut up and think about saving your own neck for once_!_?" Tollak shouted angrily at her, turning red in the face. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn_!_!_?_"

"Because I'm related to you_!_!_!_" Heidi retorted hotly. There was no way he could argue with that—It was a 100% accurate, and they both knew it!

"Please, calm down." Erwin said. "None of that will be necessary. You see, we…"

–∞–

"… I can't believe you actually told her the whole plan." Levi remarked later as they headed for the courthouse, staring at Erwin out the corner of his eye. Not only that, but the burden of training Heidi had been very casually pushed onto him despite the fact that Erwin had said _he_ would take responsibility for her. Well, he had suspected that was coming when Erwin asked him to tag along, but the commander was usually a lot more careful about who he would let in on such an important operation.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Erwin said, though he didn't look very apologetic. "She was so much like her father that I suppose I just couldn't help myself… It felt like I was talking with my old squad leader again."

"Hmph. So you knew her father... Is that why you're willing to stick your neck out so far for this kid?" Levi asked.

"You could say that…" Erwin answered rather cryptically with a small smile. "After all, I owe her father a great debt."

–∞–

After eating her fill, Heidi slept through the rest of the day and woke up the next morning to find that her grandfather had left a short note to let her know he was returning home and to write if there were any problems.

'He's so difficult…' Heidi thought with a wry but affectionate smile. He could've just woken her up, but then she knew her curmudgeon of a grandfather always seemed to become strangely considerate at the oddest times. But she suspected part of his reason for letting her sleep was because he hated goodbyes, and he was probably worried about leaving Jacob on his own for too long, even though he would definitely insist it was because he couldn't stand having so many people crammed into one place… Being a seasoned misanthrope, he had always relished his isolation and hated unexpected visitors. He was such a shut-in. She attempted to stretch, but still found it difficult to move. She hoped there was a method for reducing the recovery time in that old book, because this was just pathetic…

_BAM!_

"!" Heidi was so startled that she nearly jumped out of the bed when the door abruptly slammed open, and a very excited brunette woman wearing goggles swanned into her room.

"Heidi, right~? Did you have a good sleep?" She asked pleasantly, smiling brightly surprised redhead. "I'm sorry, I meant to come by sooner, but it's been so busy around here these past couple days that I completely lost track of time! Anyway, I've had a look at the book your grandfather gave us, and I think _this_ might help you recover a bit faster!" She said, holding out a tall cup that appeared to be filled to the brim with muck. "My advice is to drink it fast!"

"Uh… What exactly is this supposed to be, um… Ma'am?" Heidi asked, gazing at the dark liquid with open suspicion.

"Oh!" The woman gasped as her eyes widened slightly in realization. "That's right, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I'm Hange Zoë, a squad leader with the Survey Corps. It's nice to finally meet you while you're actually awake, Heidi." Hange said with a smile, offering her free hand as a sign of friendship. "I made this following a recipe in your grandpa's book for a special medicine that's supposed to help with muscle strain and fatigue!"

"Ah, It's, um, nice to meet you too… Thank you." Heidi said a bit hesitantly, shaking her hand before accepting the cup of mystery muck. This person seemed a bit weird, but she didn't sense any ill intent from her… Squad Leader Hange must have been sent by Commander Erwin or Levi Heichou to check up on her. Probably Commander Erwin. Levi Heichou didn't seem too thrilled to be taking her under his wing… He probably still hadn't completely forgiven her for throwing up on him yet… And speaking of feeling nauseous, the smell of the contents of the cup she had just been handed was really… _unappetizing_. Heidi decided to follow Hange's advice to drink it quickly. She pinched her nose and downed it all in three gulps. "Nng!" She cringed when the vile taste of the medicine hit her and slapped a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to be sick. She immediately grabbed the glass of water next to her bed and started chugging, desperately trying to wash the taste away. "Ugh…what's in that stuff…?"

"… It's better if you don't know." Hange answered cryptically after a moment's consideration, deciding ignorance might be bliss in this case.

"Somehow, that answer really worries me…" Heidi commented.

"Hahaha, but it's really amazing, isn't it, _beserkergang_?" Hange asked, laughing off her concern. "According to what I've read so far, you and your ancestors are/were definitely human, but when suddenly exposed to extreme emotional stress or psychological trauma, a special chemical reaction would sometimes occur within the brain, bringing about certain physiological changes. For example, during _berserkergang, _there's an increase in blood flow to the muscles activated by diverting blood flow from other parts of the body… increased blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugars, and fats in order to supply the body with extra energy… the blood clotting function of the body speeds up in order to prevent excessive blood loss in the event of an injury sustained during the response… and increased muscle tension in order to provide the body with extra speed and strength. However, many times these symptoms were also accompanied by the temporary loss of hearing, tunnel vision, and the inability to feel pain. Well, these are symptoms exhibited in all animals when they enter 'fight-or-flight' mode, but I guess it's a difference in quality? I mean, what makes it really incredible is how the Amundsen clan's bodies adapted to accommodate their susceptibility to entering this condition. Even without going berserk, their (and presumably yours) muscles were naturally stronger and leaner, and their bones were harder and denser than average, which is probably why yours didn't break from punching and kicking those titans!" Hange explained excitedly. Any normal human would have broken at least a bone or two trying that. She couldn't wait to see what Heidi would be capable of once she learned how to control it better. She may even be stronger than Levi!

"I-I see…" Heidi said, doing her best to take in all the information she had just been bombarded with. "… Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, that's about all I've had time to read so far…" Hange admitted.

"Oh." Heidi said, not sure what else to say. "Well, if you have the time, would you mind telling me what's going on outside? I haven't seen anyone else yet today, and I think it'll still be awhile before I can walk around, so…"

"Ah, of course." Hange said, nodding in understanding as she suddenly became a bit more subdued. Anyone who could move had been out helping with the clean up of the aftermath of the battle, and tonight they would be holding a memorial while they finished cremating the remains they had located. "Actually…"

–∞–

Meanwhile, Erwin and Levi were finally meeting the infamous Eren Yeager face-to-face.

"Eren. Do you have any questions?" Erwin asked. The boy seemed and more than just a little bewildered to find himself suddenly awake and in such strange situation after being unconscious for so long.

"…" Levi glanced sideways at one guards on duty, whom he had noticed was giving Erwin a rather disrespectful look, and the guard immediately straightened up and dropped the attitude.

"Uh… um… Where am I?" Eren asked nervously after a quick glance around. Why was he behind bars? Why was he in chains?

"You can probably see that for yourself, but this is an underground cell." Erwin answered calmly. "Your person is currently in the Military Police's custody. They finally gave us permission to speak with you just a minute ago."

"What's next? What about the trainees who were hanging around with me_!_?" Eren asked anxiously, hoping Mikasa and Armin were all right.

"We're hearing them out. Those two, as well as anyone else who might know something of your past." Erwin replied. "What we're going do now… won't be much of a change from how it's been so far." He added, holding up the key to Eren's basement.

"Ah! I know that key…" Eren said, surprised.

"Yes, it's yours. I'll return it to you later." Erwin said. "The basement of Dr. Yeager's home in Shiganshina District… where you were born. That's where the secret to the mystery of the titans is. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Sir… I believe so… That's what my father said." Eren answered a bit nervously.

"You lost your memory, and your old man is missing, eh…? Now _that's_ a convenient…" Levi remarked cynically. His story had even more holes than vomit girl's.

"Levi… I thought we had already established that he had no reason to lie." Erwin said, glancing at him out the corner of his eye. After all, Heidi's account of what she knew about Eren from before and after the fall of Shiganshina agreed with the testimony given by the other two cadets who were supposed to be even closer to him. Her exact words when vouching for him were: 'He's an impulsive hothead, and he can be a little scary sometimes, but he's not a bad guy. I was there the day he vowed to wipe out the titans as we were fleeing Shiganshina together. Out of all of us, Eren has always been the most motivated when it comes to killing titans.' She had also suggested that Eren's inability to remember what had happened to his father was the fault of a repressed memory, which was not completely unreasonable. In fact, it seemed the 'new' information about his parent's basement appeared to have been just that, remnants of a buried memory. "There's still a lot we don't know, however…" He said, looking back at Eren. "What I think we need to do now is to ask what it is you want."

"… What I want?" Eren asked, surprised.

"To inspect your house, we would have to recover Shiganshina in Wall Maria. It would take drastic measures to seal the hole in that gate quickly. We would need your titan strength." Erwin explained. "Like it or not, the titans have a definite influence over our fates. Perhaps the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan function the same way you do. Your intentions hold the key… the 'key' that can allow humanity to escape this hopeless situation."

"…!" Eren gasped. "… I… I, uh…" He said hesitantly, starting to tremble, as he lowered his head.

"Oi. Give us your answer, scumbag." Levi ordered. "What is it you want to do?" His eyes widened slightly when he saw the look in Eren's eyes as he raised his head again. There was a savage and dangerous look in the kid's eyes as he stared at them. Eren Yeager was trembling with rage; oozing murderous intent.

"I wanna join the Survey Corps… and kill those titans." He declared boldly as his wide, manic green eyes pierced through the darkness of his cell.

"Oh-hoh… Not bad." Levi remarked out loud. His sharp, grey eyes gleamed in the torchlight. He could see what Heidi had meant earlier by 'scary'. There was something fundamentally different about this guy. "… Erwin." He said, pushing off the wall he was leaning against to approach Eren's cell. "Tell the higher-ups… that I'll be vouching for him." He clenched his fist around one of the iron bars separating them from the human-shaped beast inside. He was surprised that idealistic little goody-two-shoes was able to get along with a monster like this. "Not that trust him in the least. I just wanna be around to kill him if he ever goes rogue and starts a rampage. I doubt the top brass will disagree… After all, no one's better suited for this job." With training, Heidi might be able to take him down without killing him, but that was a big if. "All right, son. You're in." Levi told Eren. "Consider yourself a member of the Survey Corps."

–∞–

"Hey, wait!" Hange said urgently as Heidi stumbled out of bed. "I'm impressed you can already move again, but it's probably better if you don't... You're still recovering."

"But… you just said they're having the memorial service tonight!" Heidi reminded her, furrowing her brow. "I wasn't able to help with the clean up, so the least I can do is attend this and pay my respects to the ones who didn't make it."

"And what are you going to do if you go and something triggers another 'episode'?" Hange asked, stopping her in her tracks. "I understand how you feel." Hange said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I've lost people before, too… but it's better for _everyone_ if you avoid anything that might set you off until you're able to control your _berserkergang_ better. It might be hard to keep avoiding your friends like this, but it's for the best. For now, you need to stay away from anything that might have the potential to upset you."

"… All right." Heidi said dispiritedly after a moment, sitting back down. Squad Leader Hange was right. She couldn't risk putting her friends in danger like that, especially after everything else they had already been through… As much as it hurt, she was going to have to ignore Sasha and the others until she knew she could control herself. Heidi clenched her fists but stayed where she was, hoping that she would be able to explain everything to them once she was stronger. Heidi and Hange both glanced up as the door creaked opened.

"Oh, Mike! Are the commander and Levi finished?" Hange asked as a blonde man with a thin mustache and beard entered the room. He nodded and leaned in close to sniff Heidi, who leaned back in an attempt to maintain her personal space, a little weirded out by the sudden invasion of it. There were some really _unique_ people in the Survey Corps…

"Ah, Heidi, this is Mike Zacharius. He's a squad leader too." Hange explained with a smile, as if it were all perfectly normal. "He has a habit of smelling people he meets for the first time…" Mike smirked to himself as he finished sniffing the younger girl. "… And then smirking."

"Hmph… Just like her father." Mike commented as he straightened up, feeling a little nostalgic. "Come on, let's go. Erwin's waiting." He told Hange as he turned away from Odd's daughter.

"See you later!" Hange told Heidi cheerfully with a little wave.

'I-Is he saying… I smell like a thirty-something-year-old man…_!_?' Heidi wondered worriedly she watched them both leave without another word.

* * *

Author's note: Just wanted to let those of you who may not have noticed yet that I've added a link to a picture of Heidi's parents beneath the one to hers on my profile, for anyone who was curious about what they looked like.


	14. Chapter 14

**Previously:**

_"Ah, Heidi, this is Mike Zacharius. He's a squad leader too." Hange explained with a smile, as if it were all perfectly normal. "He has a habit of smelling people he meets for the first time…" Mike smirked to himself as he finished sniffing the younger girl. "… And then smirking."_

_"Hmph… Just like her father." Mike commented as he straightened up, feeling a little nostalgic. "Come on, let's go. Erwin's waiting." He told Hange as he turned away from Odd's daughter._

_"See you later!" Hange told Heidi cheerfully with a little wave._

_'I-Is he saying… I smell like a thirty-something-year-old man…!_?_' Heidi wondered worriedly she watched them both leave without another word._

* * *

**Chapter 14: Special Operations Squad**

* * *

Heidi nervously drummed her fingers on the first aid box while she waited in an empty office in the courthouse for Eren's trial to finish. She had been told they would be leaving to start training as soon as everything was settled.

'I hope this works… and I really hope Mikasa doesn't lose it and complicate things…!' She thought anxiously, worried about her friends. After what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened.

"Success!" Hange announced, earning a relieved smile, as she and the others filed into the room with Eren in tow.

"Eh? Heidi_!_?" He exclaimed in surprise when he saw her there. "You're okay_!_? W-What are you doing in here_!_?"

"Waiting for you, obviously. I'll explain the rest later." She replied, holding up the first aid kit. "Now, sit down so I can clean your wounds." Levi Heichou certainly hadn't held back. Eren's face was a mess.

"Ouch!" Eren winced as she gently dabbed one of the cuts on his face with antiseptic.

"Sorry about that…" Erwin apologized to Eren. "You really did speak up your mind in front of the Commander-In-Chief and other big shots unrestrainedly, after all."

"Right…" Eren said, sounding unusually meek.

'Just what did they do to him in there…?' Heidi wondered, furrowing her brow slightly.

"That gave us the perfect chance to play the card we had up our sleeve." Erwin continued to explain. "The pain you're in was also necessary to achieve our goal. You have my respect." He told Eren, extending his hand. "I look forward to working with you." He finished with a smile. The two kids sitting in front of him were truly amazing.

"Yes, Sir!" Eren answered quickly, looking a little star-struck as he shook the commander's hand. "Thank you for having me."

"Tell me, Eren." Levi said as he abruptly plopped himself down on the sofa in the empty spot next to him, causing Eren to flinch big time.

"Y-Yes, Sir_!_?" Eren asked, sweating nervously.

"Do you resent me?" Levi finished asking calmly.

"N-No, Sir… I understand the act you put on needed to look believable." Eren replied seriously, though the memory of the pain was still too fresh to allow him to relax just yet.

'H-He's clearly traumatized…!' Heidi thought, stunned. _That_ Eren was actually flinching away from someone! She had never once seen him do that before, no matter what the circumstances… Seriously, _what _did Levi Heichou do to him_!_?

"You look like you want to say something." Levi remarked, seeing the look on her face.

"Ah, no…" Heidi said a bit apprehensively. "I also understand that this was a necessary evil, so if Eren forgives you... I don't see any reason to hold it against you."

"Good, then." Levi said, seemingly satisfied with their answers. It would be troublesome if they held a grudge and tried to rebel. But to hear the words 'necessary evil' come out of vomit girl's mouth… maybe she wasn't as naïve as she appeared.

"But still, there's certain limits… You knocked out his tooth, for crying out loud!" Hange chided him. "See?" She said, unwrapping the tooth she had saved in her handkerchief to show them.

"I'd say that beats getting dissected any day." Levi retorted pragmatically.

'Well, I'd have to agree with him there…' Heidi thought as she stared at the tooth, wondering just how much trouble she was going to be in with Mikasa once she found she had been in on this…

"Eren, open your mouth and let me see." Hange said. Eren did as she said, wondering how bad the damage was. Heidi leaned in to have a look too.

"…!" Heidi and Hange both gasped at what they saw. No way…

"Huh…?" Hange said, causing Levi and the others to all look at her, as she continued to stare into Eren's mouth, stunned. "It's… growing back." Heidi could feel a sense of unease rising in the room.

"… For a guy who almost died because he did a complete flip and banged his head on the ground during basic training for maneuvering, you're healing remarkably well." She remarked with a straight face. "Too bad you couldn't do this back then."

"!" Eren gasped, whipping his head around to stare at her incredulously. "D-Don't bring something like that up now_!_!" He shouted, extremely embarrassed. Mike and Hang looked like they were trying not to laugh, and Levi was staring rather doubtfully at him.

'She's definitely inherited her father's talent for diffusing tension.' Erwin thought.

"W-Why are you even here, anyway_!_?" Eren demanded sharply when he couldn't think of anything embarrassing to use against her.

"Well, let's just say you're not the only freak around here…" Heidi answered with a wry smile.

"No way… You can turn into a titan too_!_!_?_" He asked, shocked.

"Haha, don't be ridiculous. It's nothing that extreme… I just turns out that I happen to be the latest in a long line of 'ultimate' warriors who are able to fight evenly with titans using only their bare hands when they go berserk." She said carelessly with a wave of her hand.

"…" Eren stared at her, stunned. "… You're joking."

"Nope. So don't tell anyone, or we might end up back here for my trial, because it's complicated… and I'm not sure the same trick will work twice." She added more seriously.

"O-Oh..." Eren said awkwardly. That actually raised more questions than it answered…

"Officially, Heidi has been recruited as part of a special squad being assembled to watch over you." Erwin explained. "But this is really just an excuse so she can go with you to a remote location in order to train and learn how to better control her abilities. If she can master them, then it may be possible for her to help us subdue you without killing you."

"I see…" Eren said, glancing surreptitiously between Heidi and Levi. He found it a little hard to believe that Heidi had something so amazing up her sleeve this whole time, but then again, he hadn't known he could shift into a titan until just recently, either… And not being killed would _definitely_ be a good option to have.

–∞–

After a brief introduction to the rest of the members chosen to form the Special Operations Squad, Eren and Heidi soon found themselves embarking on a journey to the location chosen for their training. Erd and Gunther rode in front, followed by Eren and Auruo. Behind them were Petra and Heidi, with Levi Heichou picking up the rear, observing them all from behind.

"That's the former headquarters of the Survey Corps." Auruo informed them as they reached their destination, a castle covered in overgrowth with various vines creeping up the sides.

"It looks kind of like Dornröschen's castle…" Heidi remarked quietly, thinking out loud. The old building had a kind of sad and forlorn look of abandonment about it, like it hadn't seen any visitors in years.

"Hmm… I suppose it does." Petra agreed. That had been one of her favorite fairytales as a child, too.

"It might appear stately, given that it's an old converted castle…" Auruo continued. "… but an HQ located so far from the wall and river, was worse than useless to the Survey Corps. Back then the Corps had just been formed, and the soldiers were still full of ambition… Who would've figured that this oversized decoration would be the best place to keep you locked up?" Eren cast a surreptitious glance back at Heidi and Levi but quickly turned back around when his eyes met with their imposing squad leader's. "Don't get cocky, rookies." Auruo said high-handedly, doing his best to look intimidating as he addressed Eren and Heidi.

"Huh_!_?" Eren said, taken aback.

"Titan power or whatever…"Auruo grumbled. "I don't know what he sees in you, but just because Levi Heichou was put in charge of supervising a couple of piss-poor brats like yo—_!_!"

"_!_!" Both kids gasped in alarmed when his tongue got caught between his teeth, and he bit it almost completely in half, sending a spray of blood into the air.

"Jabbering away like that on a horse… of course you're going to bite your tongue." Petra chided Auruo, taking care of him while the others put the horses in the stables.

"First impressions make it or break it, baby." Auruo replied. Heidi was surprised he could still talk. It must not be as bad as it looked. "Those rookies were shaking in their boots."

"I think they were just shocked to see how much of a dumbass you are, Auruo." Petra deadpanned.

"… Whatever. It's going just as I planned." Auruo said as he wiped his chin, trying to play it off.

"You know, you never used to talk like this. If… If you adopted that manner of speech in your attempt to imitate Levi Heichou…" Petra told him, looking incredibly uneasy and disturbed at the thought. "Then please, just stop, seriously… You're nothing alike. Nothing at all."

'Ah, so that's why he's wearing that cravat…' Heidi thought as she poured some water in her horse's trough.

"Heh… What, are you trying to rein me in, Petra? If you wanna act like my wife, there are a couple of steps you skipped." He retorted.

"Don't you think you're getting a little too carried away just because Heichou chose you?" Petra asked, chagrined. "You should have just bitten your tongue off and died…" Heidi's eyes widened slightly in surprise, a bit startled by how much Petra had sounded like her mother just then. Eren felt like he was watching an older version of Peter and Heidi.

"Even as a joke, it's not funny to wish death on your brother-in-arms, baby…" Auruo answered, a little mortified that she would say something so horrible to him so easily.

'So Levi Heichou hand-picked everyone here?' Eren thought, glancing around at the other soldiers. 'The unit we were assigned to is this Special Operations Squad, also known as 'Squad Levi'. Obviously, these people are under orders to keep me in check when I use my 'titan power'… and finish me off if I lose control.' He glanced back at Heidi, wondering if it was the same way for her. She didn't seem too worried, because she was happily petting her horse, which she appeared to have grown very attached to during the trip here. "… How can you be so relaxed?" He asked her, furrowing his brow slightly. "Aren't you worried about what will happen to us?"

"Hm? Well, it's not that I'm not worried…" Heidi said tentatively. "I just thought I'd try to enjoy the peace while it lasted…" After all, from here on out, they were going to be risking their lives for this training.

"It hasn't been used in a long time, so it's kind of fallen into disrepair." Gunther said as he, Erd, and Levi stared up at the grimy castle from the weed-ridden courtyard.

"That's a serious problem…" Levi said darkly, imagining all the filth that must be waiting for them inside. "Fix it up immediately." He ordered. "Vomit Girl, you and Eren go get started on the top floor." He told Heidi, causing her to flinch and blush in embarrassment at having that incident brought up again. Hey, he said she didn't have to pay for the boots… He never said he wasn't going to give her a hard time about it.

"V-Vomit Girl…?" Eren asked, bewildered.

"Heh. You didn't hear, rookie? This brat had enough guts to puke on Heichou when they first met!" Auruo explained with a snicker at Heidi's expense, earning himself a sharp elbow in the side from Petra. Eren whipped his head around and stared at Heidi with a horrified expression on his face that clearly said he thought she should run away as fast and far as humanly possible.

"It was an accident…_!_!" Heidi said defensively. Her face was almost as red as her hair now.

'I should hope so.' Levi thought. If he had thought for one second that she had done that on purpose, she wouldn't still be around to have this conversation.

"Th-That's right… You really can't blame her, after what she'd been through…"Petra said, feeling a little nauseous just remembering it.

"Yeah, I'm not sure I could have handled that, either…" Gunther said honestly. "… being vomited up by a titan…"

"E-_Ehhh!_?" Eren exclaimed, shocked. "H-Heidi… you were eaten by a titan too_!_?"

"Uh, not quite… I just sort of ended up in its mouth for a little while. I got out before it could actually swallow." She explained, rubbing the back of her neck. "But, what you said just now… does that mean _you_ were eaten? How are you still okay? … Is that what made you turn into a titan?"

"Hey, swap stories while you work. I want this place clean, ASAP." Levi said sternly, shooting them all sharp look.

"Yes, Sir!" They all answered, immediately scrambling to carry out his order before they made him mad.

* * *

Author's note: 'Dornröschen' is the German name for 'Sleeping Beauty'.


	15. Chapter 15

**Previously:**

"E-_Ehhh!_?" _Eren exclaimed, shocked. "H-Heidi… you were eaten by a titan too!_?"

_"Uh, not quite… I just sort of ended up in its mouth for a little while. I got out before it could actually swallow." She explained, rubbing the back of her neck. "But, what you said just now… does that mean you were eaten? How are you still okay? … Is that what made you turn into a titan?"_

_"Hey, swap stories while you work. I want this place clean, ASAP." Levi said sternly, shooting them all sharp look._

_"Yes, Sir!" They all answered, immediately scrambling to carry out his order before they made him mad._

* * *

**Chapter 15: Revelation**

* * *

"That should do it." Eren said as he finished cleaning the last room on his side. He and Heidi had decided to implement a 'divide and conquer' strategy to get their floor done faster. He started at one end, she started at the other, and they were supposed to meet up again in the middle… but for some reason, she seemed to be taking a long time. "Aren't you finished yet?" He called out to her.

"Almost!" She called back, sticking her head out on of the open doorways further down the hall. "You go on ahead, I've still got a couple rooms left!"

Levi shoved the shutters on one of the windows open with a satisfying clatter. The stale interior of the old headquarters was in desperate need of fresh air.

"I've finished cleaning my half of the upper floor, Sir." Eren informed him as he entered the room. "Sir, where will I be sleeping in this facility?"

"Your room is in the basement." Levi replied as he turned around to face him, pulling his dust mask down to talk.

"The basement… again?" Eren asked disappointedly as he also pulled down his dust mask.

"Of course." Levi stated matter-of-factly. "You can't exactly control yourself, after all. If you turn into a titan in your sleep, we can keep you confined if you're underground. That's one if the conditions we were given when they placed you in our custody. It's a rule we must follow."

"…" Eren stared at him with a mixture of surprise and disappointment. Levi stared back at him for a moment with a stoic expression on his face before heading for the door.

"I'm going to check the rooms you cleaned." He told Eren on his way out. "You start cleaning here."

"Yes, Sir…" Levi heard Eren answer as he turned and started climbing up the stairs. A soft humming was echoing through the empty hall when he reached the upper floor. Levi followed it and found Heidi working on her last room. His eyes widened slightly when he saw what she had done. Every visible surface in the room was gleaming… she had even cleaned the ceiling. Heidi stopped scrubbing the floor and glanced over her shoulder when she sensed she was being watched.

"… Is something wrong, Sir?" Heidi asked a little hesitantly, about to get up, when Levi held up a hand to stop her.

"Not at all." He said truthfully. "Carry on." He left to check whether or not all the rooms she had cleaned were like that. They were. Not bad for a Vomit Girl. He turned around and walked down to the other side of the hall to inspect Eren's handiwork. He froze in the first doorway. His good mood was instantly shattered by the appalling state of affairs within. He immediately turned on his heel and marched back to Heidi's room. She jumped, startled when she suddenly sensed an ominous presence, and his hand landed roughly on her shoulder. _"Come with me."_ Levi ordered seriously in a tone that only someone with a death wish would ignore.

As Heidi followed him down the stairs, wondering what she had done wrong this time, she realized she could hear Eren and Petra talking.

"Yes… I thought he was a man who wouldn't take orders from anyone." Eren said.

'They must be talking about Levi Heichou…' Heidi thought, eyeing the man in front of her cautiously. He did seem to give off that impression. He didn't even seem to care that they were talking about him.

"I don't know all the details… but at one time, he may have been close to your image of him." Petra said thoughtfully. "I heard that before Levi Heichou joined the Survey Corps, he was a notorious thug in the capital's underground streets." Heidi was beginning to get the sinking feeling that her life might be in some serious danger. She really had picked the worst possible person to piss off. "I don't know what happened, but some people say Commander Erwin brought him into the Corps."

"The Commander did_!_?" Eren asked, surprised.

"Oi, Eren." Levi said sharply as he and Heidi reached the doorway, causing Eren and Petra to both flinch guiltily.

"Y-Yes, Sir_!_!" Eren said nervously, quickly snapping to attention, while Petra began sweeping frantically, avoiding eye contact.

"You call that clean_!_? Redo everything." Levi ordered sternly with a dark expression on his face and extra creases in his brow. "Show him how it's done, Vomit Girl."

'I really wish he would stop calling me that…' Heidi thought, grimacing slightly at the nickname.

"Oh, that smells good!" Petra said as she and Heidi were cooking dinner in the kitchen later that evening. "You're so good at cooking and cleaning… I bet you'll make a great wife someday."

"Thanks." Heidi said modestly. The main reason why she was so good at cleaning was because her aunt used to be incredibly strict about it. "My grandpa says that, too. Only, he used to follow up with 'Instead of joining the military, you should get married! I want to see my great grandchildren before I die."

"Wow, that sounds like my dad." Petra said sympathetically. "He's always going on about marriage, even though I've told him I just want to focus on my career for now. Sometimes he even confuses my loyalty to Heichou and the Corps with love… I mean, naturally, I really respect and admire Heichou as a leader, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have romantic feelings for him."

"Well, I don't know if this will work for you, but… the way I got my grandpa to stop trying to rush me was by pointing out I that didn't actually need to be married in order to give him grandchildren. He beat the crap out of me for that, but he never mentioned it again." Heidi said with a wry smile. It had really scared him, hearing that come out of the mouth of a twelve-year-old.

"I-I see…" Petra said, a little taken aback. She totally didn't seem like the type to say something like that… I mean, wasn't she just referencing fairytales earlier?

"We'll probably be ordered to stay on standby for the next several days…" Erd said while they were all enjoying a cup of tea after dinner. "… But I hear they're thinking of launching a large-scale expedition past the wall in thirty days. And that they're rushing to put some recent graduates in the mix."

"Is that true, Erd?" Gunther asked with a frown. "That's awfully soon. The raw recruits just went through a titan invasion!"

"I bet the brats were paralyzed with fright." Auruo remarked.

"Is that true, Heichou?" Petra asked.

"Strategizing doesn't fall under my responsibilities. That's _his_ department." Levi answered calmly, obviously referring to Commander Erwin. "He's always thinking a few more steps ahead than us."

"That's true…" Erd said thoughtfully. "The situation has changed. On one hand, the Maria recovery route that we sacrificed so much to build was sealed off in an instant… but a completely new hope has sprung up in its place." Heidi didn't blame Eren for looking so nervous as they all stared at him. As their only hope of plugging the hole in Wall Maria, a lot of pressure was being placed on his shoulders… She was only being held responsible for herself, but he was being held responsible for the entire future of humankind. "It's still hard to believe… but what happens when you 'become' a titan, Eren?" Erd continued, asking the question that had been on everyone's mind.

"… My memories of it aren't really clear…" Eren said a bit hesitantly, not really sure how he was supposed to explain something he didn't fully understand himself. "… Anyway, it's something similar to being in a feverish state... I do know that the trigger is self-inflicted pain. I bite my hand like…" He started to raise his hand but stopped. 'Huh? Come to think of it… how did I know that?' He wondered.

"… How did you figure that out?" Heidi asked, furrowing her brow slightly in concern. She wasn't doubting Eren, but ordinarily your first thought wouldn't be to bite yourself, right?

"I-I don't know… I just sort of… _knew_…" Eren answered honestly, though he seemed a bit weirded out by this fact.

'Hmm… So he just did it on instinct...' Heidi thought, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. 'Sort of like how I gained control after going berserk… even though I managed to pull it off, I'm not really sure how…'

"You should all be aware of this already, but… you may not ask him anything more than what's already in the report." Levi reminded them all, taking a sip from his cup. He had a unique way of holding his tea. "Although, I doubt that will stop _her_ from trying. If she screws up while poking and prodding you, it could be the death of you, Eren."

"Eh…? 'Her'?" Eren asked a little apprehensively while Heidi raised an eyebrow. Could he mean…?

KA-CHAK.

"Good evening, Squad Levi!" Hange greeted them enthusiastically as she threw open the door and entered the room without hesitation, almost as if she had been summoned by their conversation. "How do you like living in a castle?"

"Her." Levi said in response to Eren's last question, confirming Heidi's suspicions. Hange had mentioned somewhere in between outlining all the knowledge she had gleaned from her grandfather's old tome that her real specialty was titans.

"Squad Leader Hange..." Eren said, completely surprised.

"Thanks for waiting, Eren!" Hange said, as if this was supposed to have been the highlight of his day. "I'm currently handling the examination of the two titans that were captured alive. And I'd like you to assist me with my experiment tomorrow, Eren. I stopped by to get permission."

"Experiment…?" Eren asked, looking a little apprehensive. "But I don't see what I can…"

"Oh, you so can… You can be super zealous, for starters!" Hange told him excitedly with flushed cheeks and a maniacal look in her eyes. It was kind of disturbing…

"Um… the thing is, I can't give you permission by myself." Eren answered honestly. "I don't have any authority over what I can do, so…"

"Levi!" Hange said, immediately whipping her head around to glance at his handler. "What plans do you have regarding Eren for tomorrow?"

"… Cleaning the yard." Levi replied with a straight face. He had decided to start Heidi's training first, since she actually came with an instruction manual. There were still a lot of unknowns about Eren's abilities. And that yard was a disgrace.

"Great, then it's settled_!_!" Hange said decisively.

'No, I don't think that was really supposed to be a 'yes'…' Heidi thought warily, noting the irritated expression in their Heichou's eyes. He had been serious about that yard…

"Eren! I'll see you tomorrow!" Hange said determinedly, ignoring Levi's sharp stare, as she clasped Eren's hand in her own.

"Ah… Okay…" Eren replied hesitantly, feeling incredibly awkward with the way he was being so nicely yet forcibly coerced into this despite the look Levi Heichou was giving them. He seemed annoyed, but he wasn't objecting, so he guessed it would be all right… probably. "But what sort of experiments are you doing on the titans?" He asked.

'Hey! Don't get her started…' Auruo thought, giving him a nudge in the side in an attempt to shut him up.

"Ah, I was wondering about that myself." Heidi confessed, hoping she would be allowed to hear about it, too. The more they could learn about the enemy, the better. She was surprised when Petra suddenly elbowed her in the side and gave her a look that said: 'You don't know what you're getting into!' 'Eh? Did I do something bad just now…?' Heidi wondered warily.

"Uh-huh, I thought so!" Hange said with a grin. "I thought you two looked curious." Levi and the other veterans immediately vacated their seats and left the room without another word.

"…" Staring after them, Heidi was starting to wonder if she should've followed. Their sudden exodus seemed really suspicious… Did they know something they didn't?

"Well, if you want to know that badly… who am I to refuse?" Hange continued as she sat down in one of the empty chairs, happy to have found herself audience. "All right, I suppose I'll have to tell you about those 'kids' we captured. This isn't the first time we've successfully snared a titan. First, I repeated the experiment we tried five times in the past, whenever we had a captive titan: an attempt at establishing communication. Unfortunately, I was forced to conclude that meaningful conversation is impossible." She said, smiling wryly at the memory. "However, the time I spent interacting with the titans was so fascinating that it made me forget how exhausted I was. Incidentally, I named the 4m-class one 'Sonny'… and the 7m-class one 'Bean'."

'… As in that tribe of cannibals?' Heidi wondered, furrowing her brow slightly. She had heard that gruesome old story from her grandpa, but not too many other people seemed to know about it. She had half thought he made it up to keep her and Jacob wary of strangers, but humans were capable of doing some really terrible things to each other…

"Next, I tried depriving the titans of sunlight. Titans become less energetic as night wears on, so this experiment tested the hypothesis that they derive something from sunlight that gives them vitality. Here, the titans showed individual differences. Whereas Sonny became lethargic after just one hour without sunlight… Bean remained frisky for three hours. I was surprised yet again… They don't need food or water, and even though they have vocal chords, it isn't necessary for them to breathe… all they require is sunlight… I'm interested in what would happen if they were cut off completely from sunlight… but I can't have them die on me. I accidentally killed some captured titans before. During an experiment to cut off their heads, I cut all the way to the nape of the neck. Their names were Chicachironi and Alberto. They had such cute smiles. I really did them wrong. I really don't want to go through that again…" Hange said regretfully. Eren and Heidi exchanged looks of surprise and concern over how down she seemed about it. Before either of them could say anything, Hange's head suddenly shot back up. "And then! From the second step, I moved onto the next stage, which involved direct contact with the titans' bodies!" She exclaimed with a frenetic expression and a turbulent look in her eyes. "The confirmation of whether or not titans possessed a sense of pain. You see, I had to see whether the titans have a weak point other than the neck… It was very hard for me to do that…" Heidi could only imagine. Whatever they called it, even without hearing any further details, she knew that meant Hange had basically had to torture her test subjects in various ways, and the eccentric squad leader really seemed to like them. "… But, compared to Bean, the introverted Sonny didn't have much of a reaction at all. He's not very good at expressing himself. All he does is try to bite my head off."

'I'm pretty sure that's because he's a titan…' Heidi thought. 'Well, even if he wasn't, it would be unusual for any living creature capable of feeling pain to just sit there and take being tortured without trying to fight back…'

"How can you be so cheerful around titans_!_?" Eren demanded abruptly with a furrowed brow.

"Huh?" Hange said, taken aback as she and Heidi glanced at him.

"I mean… titans are our natural enemy!" He said. "They drove the human race to the brink of extinction… Ms. Hange, you must've been in danger from them yourself a number of times…"

"You're right." Hange said calmly. "I've seen my comrades get slaughtered by the titans right before my eyes more times than I care to recall. When I first joined the Survey Corps, I relied on my hatred to get me through battles with the titans. And then, one day, I realized something. It was when I kicked and sent flying the freshly decapitated head of a 3m-class titan. The titan's body… was improbably light."

"Eh?" Eren said, taken aback.

"Ah, that's true…" Heidi said thoughtfully. "If you think about it, normally a body that huge wouldn't be able to stand on just two feet, much less walk."

"Yes, Every titan is like that." Hange agreed. "A severed hand that should have been quite heavy, in reality was almost weightless. And I heard that when you transformed into a titan, Eren, that titan body of yours just formed up out of nothing." Eren's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What I think is happening… is that what we can _see_ and the true nature of what actually _exists_… are completely different things. For decades now, we've made an effort to thrive on hatred and move aggressively. I want to try looking at titans from a different angle than the predominant view. I may just be spinning my wheels, but… I'm going to do it." Hange stated determinedly. Silence fell over the room. Heidi glanced between the stunned Eren and the eccentric squad leader. Personally, she thought Hange possessed something very important for a scientist: the ability to move from thinking subjectively to objectively.

"I also hated the titans, at first…" Heidi said quietly as she stared into her teacup. Eren amd Hange both glanced at her. "My uncle was in the Garrison, so even before joining the military, I knew a thing or two about them. They don't have digestive tracts, but they eat humans. They haven't eaten any humans for a hundred years, but as far as we can tell, none of them have died of starvation. If anything, there's more of them now. And we still have no idea why. Why do they only kill humans? If they're starving, then any meat should do, right? Why bother going through the trouble of eating meat in the first place if they don't need it to survive? I thought it was unnatural…" Heidi furrowed her brow, frowning. "But then, I realized something. Humans are the same."

"!" Eren started. "What are you—"

"We're also capable of killing each other for no reason." Heidi continued. "There are some humans who will hurt others just for fun. They enjoy it. It's true, titans are our natural enemies; they've replaced us at the top of the food chain… But you know, they're just acting on instinct. Most of them don't even have enough intelligence to dodge attacks. Humans, on the other hand, we know right from wrong… and we hurt each other anyway. Before the titan's showed up, humans were their own natural enemies. In fact, we still are. I think what makes titans so frightening isn't just their immense size or the fact that they eat us… it's because they look like _us…_ and seeing one 'human' completely devour another like that scares us on a primal level like nothing else."

"…" Eren stared at her, stunned. He couldn't deny that what she was saying made sense on some fundamental level.

"I see… You've also given this quite a bit of thought." Hange said.

"Yes…" Heidi replied sadly. "I thought I hated titans, that I couldn't forgive them for killing my mother… but I came to realize the one I was most upset with, the one I really hated… was myself, for not being able to save her. That being said, I'm not just going to roll over and die, either. I still have people left that I want to protect." That feeling of being so hopelessly powerless to protect what was most important to her… She never wanted to go through that again. But life wasn't that kind. She knew it was likely to happen again whether she wanted it to or not. That's why she joined the military, to fight back.

"Heidi…" Eren said. He had no idea she felt that way about herself. 'Ever since I joined the Survey Corps, it's been one surprise after another.' He thought. 'It's not just Ms. Hange. This organization is full of oddballs… like a haven… for eccentrics. But… they're a group of people seeking reform. That's what the Survey Corp is!'

"Eren… adding you as a component in the experiments may teach us something new." Hange said tentatively. "And if it does, that may become a step forward for all of us. It's possible I'm just being a pain in the ass and expecting too much of you… but I'm having fun. No one has ever been able to do what you can before."

"Ms. Hange…" Eren said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about your experiments." He finished determinedly. Heidi smiled slightly, glad to see he was still on board.

"I would as well." She said.

"Hm?" Hange said, surprised. "Really?" She asked with a hint of blush glowing on her cheeks. No one ever came back for seconds!

"I think I should know as much possible to be fully prepared for tomorrow's experiment." Eren answered with a smile.

"And the better you know your enemy, the better chance you have at defeating them." Heidi added.

"R-Right." Hange said, glad to see how well they understood the need for what she was doing. "True, I did leave out a lot in my explanation… Okay, I'll explain everything in greater detail. It might take some time, though…"


	16. Chapter 16

**Previously:**

_"Ms. Hange…" Eren said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about your experiments." He finished determinedly. Heidi smiled slightly, glad to see he was still on board._

_"I would as well." She said._

_"Hm?" Hange said, surprised. "Really?" She asked with a hint of blush glowing on her cheeks. No one ever came back for seconds!_

_"I think I should know as much possible to be fully prepared for tomorrow's experiment." Eren answered with a smile._

_"And the better you know your enemy, the better chance you have at defeating them." Heidi added._

_"R-Right." Hange said, glad to see how well they understood the need for what she was doing. "True, I did leave out a lot in my explanation… Okay, I'll explain everything in greater detail. It might take some time, though…"_

* * *

**Chapter 16: Gamble**

* * *

"… So I didn't get any new information out of this latest round of experiments." Hange eventually concluded while a couple of chirping birds twittered away outside the window. "In fact, everything I've told you is already taught to trainees. But you knew that, didn't you?" She asked, just as energetic as ever despite the dark circles under all of their eyes.

"Yes… We knew all of that already." Eren and Heidi droned tiredly in response, barely conscious. Judging by the amount of light streaming in through the windows now, they had already transitioned from late night to early morning. After being subjected to such a tediously detailed and redundant explanation, they understood why the others had been so quick to run off the previous evening…

"Good. Then let me explain it to you again, this time including my own personal speculations." Hange said.

"Ehh_!_?" Heidi and Eren flinched in alarm.

"A-Ah, look at the time!" Heidi said with a nervous smile as she quickly stood up before Hange could get started again, trying to excuse herself politely despite her obvious readiness to flee the room. "I need to meet up with Levi Heichou for training!" Eren shot her a look of betrayal for attempting to escape on her own.

"Oh, that's too bad!" Hange exclaimed disappointedly. "I was just about to explain a curious case of communication involving a soldier named Ilse Langnar—"

_BAM!_

"_Is Squad Leader Hange here!_?" One of the members of her squad shouted anxiously as the door to the dining hall suddenly slammed open, taking the three inside by surprise. "Our test subjects… _both titans have been killed!_!_!_" He exclaimed urgently.

–∞–

"AAAAAAAH_!_! Sonny! Bean!" Hange wailed in anguish as she took in the damage upon arriving at the research site, mourning the loss of her two titans.

"No way… was it a soldier's doing?" Someone in the crowd of military personnel that had gathered asked nervously.

"We haven't found the culprit yet… It looks like they were both killed at the same time, before dawn. By the time the guards noticed, whoever did it had already gotten away using 3DMG." Another answered.

"A premeditated plan by two or more people, huh? Look at Squad Leader Hange… She's going mental…"

"They were important test subjects. What kind of morons would…"

"If they weren't morons… then why'd they do it?"

'That's a good question…' Heidi thought, furrowing her brow as she watched the troubling scene with the rest of the Special Operations Squad.

"Let's go." Levi said calmly. "The rest is up to the Military Police."

"Y-Yes, sir…" Eren stuttered as they all turned to follow him, unnerved by Hange's frantic screaming.

"Eren…" Commander Erwin said, stopping him.

"Commander!" Eren said, surprised to see that he had come there in person. "What's going on?"

"What do you see?" Erwin asked quietly, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders as he leaned in close. "Who do you think the enemy is?" Levi stopped and watched them out the corner of his eye.

"Huh?" Eren said as a bead of nervous sweat slid down the side of his face, confused.

"…" Erwin closed his eyes briefly for a moment before releasing his grip on Eren and turning to leave. "Sorry, that was a strange question to ask." He paused for a moment as he passed Heidi. "And you?"

"… I don't know…" She answered honestly with a frown. "But if I did… I don't think this would be the place to talk about it…" She added cautiously, eyeing the crowd around them.

"I see…" Erwin said before continuing on his way. It would seem she at least suspected enough to realize the value of discretion in this case. Eren furrowed his brow slightly in confusion as they watched the commander walk away, puzzled by the cryptic exchange.

–∞–

"Which would you prefer? Being thrown off a cliff without your 3DMG, or being sunk to the bottom of a pond to drown?" Levi asked Heidi abruptly once they had returned to the old HQ.

'Well, neither sounds very appealing…' Heidi thought dubiously, not at all liking where this was going; but the two of them had already discussed this prior to the previous evening. Right now she couldn't go berserk on her own, so the plan was to stimulate her by throwing her into life or death situations until she managed to activate her berserker mode under controlled conditions. At least, that was the theory… "I suppose I'd have to go with drowning."

"Right. Cliff it is, then." Levi decided to her chagrin. "Strip." He ordered strictly with a straight face, referring to her gear. Heidi let out a heavy sigh but complied obediently without complaint.

"Eh_!_?" Eren said, confused and horrified on her behalf. "What are you…"

"Eren, since Hange will be busy dealing with the aftermath of this morning's incident, you're going to clean the yard while I train Vomit Girl." Levi ordered.

"Training…?" Eren asked, furrowing his brow. It just sounded like he was trying to kill her…!

"Yes. According to that geezer's book, entering a controlled berserker state would normally take years to master… But that's inconvenient, so you're going to do it in thirty days." Levi stated, aiming the last part at Heidi, setting the date for the expedition outside the wall as her deadline.

'So one-sided…' Heidi thought, a little chagrined, though she understood where he was coming from. This was necessary if she wanted to be able to participate. "In that case, we really should start with drowning, sir." She said grimly. "I'm an expert when it comes to scaling cliffs and rock climbing, but I've never been a very good swimmer, so water is my weak point."

"I see..." Levi said, glad to see that Vomit Girl was taking this seriously. He had purposefully decided to do the opposite of whatever she had chosen in order to make it harder for her, but apparently she had already thought ahead and done that herself. It would seem he had underestimated her resolve and willingness to put her life on the line. "In that case… Let's get started." He said as he shoved a bulging sack into her arms before turning on his heel and walking away, heading for the pond on the castle grounds.

"Yes, sir." Heidi said dutifully, grunting slightly as she hefted the heavy sack over her shoulder and followed in his footsteps.

"… Is she going to be all right?" Eren asked the remaining squad members worriedly as they watched them walk away.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Heichou will intervene if she needs saving." Petra reassured him.

"… Probably." Gunther agreed a little less certainly.

'That kid's a goner…' Auruo thought. "Ow! What was that for_!_?" He asked incredulously when Petra elbowed him in the ribs.

"Just now… you were doubting Heichou, weren't you?" She said sternly, narrowing her eyes at him. She could see it on his face.

"I wasn't doubting him, but accidents happen, you know?" He retorted defensively. After all, that brat had thrown up on Heichou, so he didn't think he'd be in too much of a hurry to save her…

"So you are doubting him!" Petra snapped angrily, raising her fist to hit him again.

"Well, whatever may have passed between them before, she's our comrade now." Erd said calmly, interrupting before the fight got too serious. "Levi Heichou would never abandon someone under his command."

–∞–

"…" Levi glanced at the stopwatch in his hand when the air from Heidi's lungs stopped bubbling to the surface. One minute had already passed. Now that Vomit Girl was out of breath, she should be getting desperate. If this method worked, she should start going berserk any second now. If she didn't break free within thirty seconds, she would drown.

Beneath the placid surface of the pond, Heidi was beginning to instinctively struggle against her bonds. To make sure she didn't simply float back to the surface, Levi Heichou had bound her hands and tied the weights in the sack to her ankles to keep her anchored under the water before throwing her in. Her lungs were screaming at her for air, and her vision was starting to blur. This was bad… at this rate, she would drown before she could go berserk!

"Shit!" Levi cursed after thirty-seven more seconds had passed without any sign of progress, throwing down the stopwatch. He quickly ripped off his green cloak, preparing to dive in and haul her back out.

SPLASH!

"PWAH_!_!" Heidi sputtered, gasping desperately for air as her head broke through the surface. "Th… That was close…" She breathed heavily while floating on her back.

"Not close enough, apparently…" Levi deadpanned upon noticing that even though her feet were free, her hands were still bound. She had obviously somehow managed to untie the ropes around her ankles _without _going berserk, or she would have simply ripped apart the ones on her wrists too.

"Sorry, Levi Heichou…" She apologized, laying on her back as she kicked, aiming for land. "When I was about to pass out, my reflexes kicked in… and I ended up untying the knots with my teeth…" She explained sheepishly with an awkward laugh as she reached the edge of the pond just in front of him. Levi's expression darkened as abruptly placed the sole of his boot on top of her head and pushed her back under before she had a chance to react. What kind of 'reflex' was that? She had to be doing this shit on purpose. For a few seconds, she splashed frantically as she fought against him, but she quickly realized how useless that was and let herself sink to the bottom so she could push herself back up and away from him to escape, gasping for air as she resurfaced. "What the—_!_?" She exclaimed incredulously, freezing when she saw the scary expression on his face. "I-It wasn't on purpose, I swear_!_! My grandpa made me practice how to escape from all sorts of knots and stuff until it became second nature!" She explained defensively, correctly guessing the reason why he looked so pissed, while she treaded the water, careful to stay out of his reach.

"…" Levi eyed her skeptically for a few more minutes before deciding she was telling the truth. "Tch! Come here." He ordered, squatting down and holding out a hand to her.

"…" Heidi eyed his extended hand warily, approaching with extreme caution. She slowly reached out and grabbed his hand, bracing herself for another drowning attempt, but it didn't come. Instead, Levi tightened his grip and pulled her up out of the water, hauling her back onto dry land.

"If that's the case… then I guess I can stop _holding back_." He stated ominously, getting serious.

"Eh?" Heidi said, staring up at him with wide eyes as a bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her wet face. She really didn't like the sound of that…

–∞–

"It's getting late…" Eren remarked as the sun started to set, concerned. Levi Heichou and Heidi had been gone for the whole day. They didn't even return for lunch.

"Hmph. That brat has some nerve!" Auruo huffed. "Making Heichou go through so much trouble…"

"Ah, it's them!" Petra said, straightening up as two familiar figures came into view. Sure enough, it was Levi and Heidi… but something clearly wasn't right. Their leader had a really dark and foreboding expression on his face as he marched towards them. Poor Heidi was dragging behind, looking ready to drop. They were both oozing intense auras of frustration. "I guess activating her special ability isn't so easy…" Petra said, a little disappointed. Eren winced sympathetically when he saw how beat up Heidi was. There was still a little dried blood around her nose and the corner of her mouth, and her jaw was bruised. Levi Heichou had obviously kicked the shit out of her. "How was it, Heichou?" Petra asked.

"_Completely useless_." Heichou retorted harshly shooting her sharp glare for asking that made them all flinch. "Whether it was drowning, being thrown off a cliff, dropping her in mid air, beating the crap out of her, or anything else… _nothing _worked on this idiotic Vomit Girl!" He muttered darkly, feeling extremely pissed off and frustrated by their total lack of progress. It'd been long time since he met someone this hard to kill…

"Heichou, can you _please _stop calling me that? I've been holding it in because I felt bad about that incident, but it's seriously starting to piss me off." Heidi growled with a scowl.

"_!_!_?_" Eren gasped as he and the others stared at her as if she had just lost her mind. But Heidi didn't give a rat's ass. She had zero patience left for that shit. On top of being equally frustrated with her own failure, the accumulated stress of having to suffer through so many back-to-back near death experiences in a row was really starting to pile up, not to mention the hunger that was gnawing away at her!

"Oh? You've got a lot of guts talking back to me after all of that…" Levi said, narrowing his eyes dangerously at her. "You want me to kick your ass again, _Vomit Girl_?" He asked, causing a vein to throb on her forehead. "If you have that much energy left, then run some laps. If you stop before I tell you to—for whatever reason—I'll keep calling you 'Vomit Girl' till the day you die, and then I'll have it engraved on your damn tombstone." He stated harshly, solemn as the grave.

"!" Heidi grimaced at the thought, but held her ground. "Fine! In exchange, if I can manage to go berserk before tomorrow, then you have to stop calling me that and use my proper name from now on." She said determinedly.

"Hpmh, sure. If you really can, that is..." Levi agreed with a wicked smirk as they stared each other down with enough friction to cause sparks. "Get going, Vomit Girl!"

"It's _Heidi_, God dammit_!_!" She yelled with a vein throbbing on her forehead as she abruptly turned on her heel and took off like a shot.

"Tch! That brat…" Levi muttered, furrowing his brow in annoyance, as a vein throbbed on his forehead. "Is dinner ready yet?" He asked as he turned away and headed inside. "I'm starving."

"Ah, um, Erd and Gunther are in the kitchen making it now…" Petra answered with a nervous smile as she and Auruo followed him in, maintaining a safe distance.

'Tch! Stupid brat… She just had to piss him off!' Auruo thought, furrowing his brow. Vomit Girl must have a death wish.

"…" Eren stayed where he was, staring in the direction Heidi had taken off, sweat-dropping as he watched. She was so pissed, she had forgotten all about pacing herself… He had never seen her like that before. She must really hate Heichou's nickname for her, not that he could blame her…


	17. Chapter 17

**Previously:**

_"Oh? You've got a lot of guts talking back to me after all of that…" Levi said, narrowing his eyes dangerously at her. "You want me to kick your ass again, Vomit Girl?" He asked, causing a vein to throb on her forehead. "If you have that much energy left, then run some laps. If you stop before I tell you to—for whatever reason—I'll keep calling you 'Vomit Girl' till the day you die, and then I'll have it engraved on your damn tombstone." He stated harshly, solemn as the grave._

_"!" Heidi grimaced at the thought, but held her ground. "Fine! In exchange, if I can manage to go berserk before tomorrow, then you have to stop calling me that and use my proper name from now on." She said determinedly._

_"Hpmh, sure. If you really can, that is..." Levi agreed with a wicked smirk as they stared each other down with enough friction to cause sparks. "Get going, Vomit Girl!"_

_"It's Heidi, God dammit!" She yelled with a vein throbbing on her forehead as she abruptly turned on her heel and took off like a shot._

_"Tch! That brat…" Levi muttered, furrowing his brow in annoyance, as a vein throbbed on his forehead. "Is dinner ready yet?" He asked as he turned away and headed inside. "I'm starving."_

_"Ah, um, Erd and Gunther are in the kitchen making it now…" Petra answered with a nervous smile as she and Auruo followed him in, maintaining a safe distance._

_'Tch! Stupid brat… She just had to piss him off!' Auruo thought, furrowing his brow. Vomit Girl must have a death wish._

_"…" Eren stayed where he was, staring in the direction Heidi had taken off, sweat-dropping as he watched. She was so pissed, she had forgotten all about pacing herself… He had never seen her like that before. She must really hate Heichou's nickname for her, not that he could blame her…_

* * *

**Chapter 17: Breakthrough**

* * *

After he had finished eating, Eren was ordered to go out and keep an eye on Heidi. The moon was beginning to rise in the dark night sky.

"Here you go, Eren." Petra said, getting his attention, as she held out a cup of tea.

"Ah, thank you." Eren said, accepting it gratefully.

"Is she still running?" Levi asked, coming out to check on them after a while.

"Yes, sir. She hasn't stopped once… but she is starting to slow down…" Eren answered as Heidi came jogging back into view, panting heavily and dripping with sweat. She was doing incredibly well for someone who had started out running on empty to begin with.

"Heichou, how much longer are you planning to make her run?" Petra asked, concerned. Heidi looked like she was dying out there…

"That depends… Frankly, I'm running out of ideas. There isn't much more I can do, short of actually killing her…" Levi answered thoughtfully as he watched Heidi run. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Eren's face as he grimaced sympathetically. He could only imagine the kind of hell the strict Heichou must have put Heidi through during their training…

"Ah!" Petra gasped when Heidi stumbled on something and started to fall.

"_!_!" Eren exclaimed in alarm, shooting to his feet.

'Shit…!' Heidi cursed as the ground drew closer. If she fell now, she didn't think she could get back up again! She had to keep moving, but her body had finally reached its limit. Her face was only a couple inches away from the ground. This was the end… She was going to be known as Vomit Girl forever! _No—_she'd die before she let that happen_!_! Suddenly, it was as if a floodgate had been opened, and a new surge of extraordinary strength and vitality sudden swept through Heidi. Her pupils contracted and dilated as her hands shot out in front of her.

"Oh_!_!" Eren and Petra gasped in surprise as, in one swift and fluid motion, she tucked and rolled into a somersault, got back on her feet, and took off with a sudden burst of speed without stopping.

"…" Levi said as he stared at her. In that instant, the moonlight had reflected off of her eyes, allowing him to see the change in them. This was more than just a simple second wind. She had finally done it. After everything he had put her through today, Vomit Girl had finally managed to activate her controlled berserker state while running…

"Heichou!" Petra said excitedly as she realized what must have happened.

"Yeah, I know." He said calmly, straightening up. "It's over. You can stop now!" He called out. Heidi immediately halted and walked back over to them. Despite having been on the verge of collapsing only seconds ago, she was now cool, calm, and collected as she stood before them, and she held herself well. There was an aura of strength and power emanating from her. It was like they were looking at a completely different person. "Well done… Heidi." Levi said reaching out to give her a pat on the head. He immediately regretted doing so once he felt how wet with sweat her hair was, but Heidi's whole face lit up with happiness upon hearing him finally acknowledge her and call her by her real name, and she smiled brightly at him, as if all were completely forgiven. "…" Levi stared down at her, not quite sure how to react. "Just take a bath before you do anything else." He ordered, pulling out his handkerchief to wipe his hand off as he turned and headed back inside.

"Yes, sir!" Heidi responded cheerfully.

"Good for you, Heidi!" Petra said with a smile. Not only did Heichou praise her, but she had received one of his extremely rare head-pats!

"Yeah, way to go_!_!" Eren praised her, patting her on the back. "Now you just have to turn it off!"

"Eh?" Heidi said, blinking. "Um, I'm not really sure I know how…" She confessed, rubbing the back of her neck. Last time she had just fought until she lost consciousness…

"…" They all stood there in silence for a moment, wondering what they should do.

"Well, for now, just try not to break anything…" Petra said with wry smile as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. She'd hate to imagine what would happen if she did… Hopefully the bath would help her relax.

–∞–

The bath really did seem to help, because the moment Heidi finished filling her empty stomach, she promptly fell asleep at the table with a very relaxed and satisfied look on her face.

"Geez, look at her…" Auruo muttered. "So carefree… Does she have any idea how nerve-wracking it was for us during supper because of her?" Heichou had been in such a foul mood, you could have cut the tension filling the air with a knife.

"I don't think that was entirely her fault…" Petra said charitably. After all, he had already been in a bad mood before she talked back to him, and he had calmed down considerably once he had some tea and something to eat.

"You're being too nice to her Petra." Auruo told her with a frown. "That Vomit Girl—" Whatever he had been about to say died in his throat when a knife flew past the side of his face, almost close enough to cut him, with enough force to embed itself in the stone wall behind him. He glanced back at Heidi and saw that her right arm was now laying across the table, and her knife was missing from her plate.

"…" They all stared at the sleeping girl, stunned.

"This brat! She's actually awake, isn't she_!_?" Auruo shouted incredulously.

"No, she's definitely asleep." Eren said with certainty. "You have to be extra careful around Heidi when she's unconscious, because if you try to say or do something she doesn't like, her defenses automatically kick in, and she doesn't hold back at all…"

"Seriously…?" Gunther asked, sweat-dropping. That sounded dangerous, especially considering how close she had just come to maiming Auruo…

"Hmph. There's no way something like that's possible…" Auruo said stubbornly as a bead of nervous sweat slid down the side of his face. "I'm sure it was just a coincidence that Vomit Girl—"

_BAM._

Auruo froze, white with shock, as he stared down at the fork Heidi had just stabbed into the table in the thin gap between his middle and index finger.

"Maybe you should stop calling her that…" Erd advised him.

"Good evening, Squad Levi…" Hange greeted them rather dispiritedly as she trudged into the room to join them, still down about losing Sonny and Bean.

"Ah, Ms. Hange, you're back…" Eren said.

"Have they found the culprit yet?" Gunther asked.

"No, not yet…" Hange said glumly. "What happened here?" She asked curiously when she noticed the knife in the wall and the fork in the table.

"Heidi. Apparently she fights in her sleep…" Erd answered with a wry smile.

"Heh, is that so?" Hange asked, glancing at the sleeping girl. She looked so innocent like that, it was hard to believe. Deciding to test that theory for herself, Hange took out a pebble she just so happened to have on her and threw it at Heidi. Without opening her eyes, Heidi snatched up the empty plate in front of her and used it to deflect the pebble, altering its course so that it nailed Auruo right between the eyes. For a moment, it was completely silent aside from the small laugh Petra let out as Auruo sat there, stunned.

"This… isn't it actually kind of fun…_!_?" Hange said with sparkling eyes, pulling out another pebble.

"What's fun?" Levi asked, leaning in the doorway. He was surprised to see Hange looking so happy after seeing how depressed she had been only a moment ago when she came back to update him on what was going on outside.

"This!" Hange said, tossing the pebble. Once again, the incoming projectile was instantly blocked by Heidi's plate, only this time it hit Auruo on the nose.

"Why is it always me_!_!_?_" He demanded incredulously, shooting up out of his chair.

"Hey, calm down… She isn't even conscious!" Gunther reminded him while he and Erd held him back.

"That's right, she doesn't know what she's doing." Petra added.

"No way, she's definitely doing it purpose_!_!_!_" Auruo snapped, struggling to break free and pummel the snoozing brat. "I'm gonna—"

_DINK._

Everyone went perfectly still when another pebble bounced off of Auruo's forehead. Eren and the four veterans turned their heads and saw that Hange was sitting perfectly still, while their squad leader's hand was still raised. While they weren't looking, Hange had handed him a pebble so he could try it out for himself.

"You're right, that is amusing." Levi agreed with a straight face. To think Heidi could move so well even in her sleep… That old geezer really put her through the wringer.

"H-Heichou…_!_?" Auruo cried, feeling betrayed. Not him too!

"By the way, why do you have so many random pebbles on you, Squad Leader Hange?" Eren asked curiously.

"Hm? They're not random. I took these from the ground where Sonny and Bean were killed. If you look closely, there's still some of their blood on them. Don't worry, I still have plenty left." Hange replied, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"!" Auruo said, flinching in shock. You mean they were throwing titan remains at him_!_?

"Don't pick stuff like that up! It's gross." Levi scolded her sternly as he whipped out his handkerchief and began scrubbing the hand that had touched the pebble.

–∞–

The next morning, Heidi woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking.

"Ugh… Where am I?" She groaned groggily when she realized she wasn't in her bed, feeling extremely sore. It seemed they had left her sitting at the dining table with a blanket draped over her.

"Good morning." Petra greeted her brightly as she set a plate of ham and eggs down in front of her.

"Morning…" Heidi returned her greeting, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Here you go~!" Hange said cheerfully, adding a cup of what looked like black muck next to the plate. "Drink up!"

'Not this crap again…' Heidi thought, grimacing.

"Squad Leader Hange… What…?" Petra asked tentatively, watching as Heidi pinched her nose and began quickly chugging down the cup's questionable-looking contents.

"Oh, that? It's a special medicine to aid in recovery from the side-effects of the bersekergang. It's very effective, but it tastes really nasty…" Hange explained with a knowing look on her face as Heidi slammed down the empty cup with a shudder and began frantically shoveling food into her mouth to get rid of the vile taste left in her mouth. Hange had tried some out of curiosity, and the results hadn't been pretty. She was impressed Heidi could keep it down.

"Oh, I see… I'll go get you some juice, then." Petra said sympathetically, heading back into the kitchen as they were joined by Levi and the others.

"Oh, thank you… Let me help you with that." Heidi said, standing up to help her serve the others. Bad taste aside, she was already feeling much better. For some reason, Auruo flinched slightly and turned on her with what she supposed was meant to be a scornful glare. when she approached him with his plate. "… Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Don't mind him. He's just holding a grudge for what happened yesterday." Gunther said carelessly.

"Hm? Did something happen after I fell asleep?" Heidi asked innocently, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Are you trying to say you don't remember?" Auruo asked incredulously.

"It's no use, Mr. Auruo." Eren said. "No matter what happens, she never seems to remember."

"That's such bullshit!" Auruo muttered angrily. Even if she couldn't remember, he still wanted an apology!

"What are you guys talking about?" Heidi asked, furrowing her brow slightly in confusion, totally lost.

"No, it's true." Eren insisted. "I heard she didn't even remember when she punched out Peter during the graduation party."

"What? When did that happen?" Heidi asked with a frown. That wasn't something she was likely to forget.

"When you fell asleep after drinking a boatload of spiked cider." He replied. "He thought you had your guard down, so he tried to kiss you."

"_Over my dead body._" Heidi said darkly through clenched teeth. "My judgment would never be _that_ impaired!"

"No, don't worry, it was an instant K.O." Eren reassured her as a bead of sweat slid down the side of his face. She looked ready to kill. Wherever Peter was, he'd better start running…

"Who's this Peter?" Hange asked curiously. It sounded like there was a real story there.

"No one important." Heidi answered curtly as she sat back down with a scowl on her face.

"Yeah, he's just the guy who used to make your life miserable back when we lived in Shiganshina." Eren quipped.

"Eh? You were bullied?" Petra asked Heidi, taken aback.

"It wasn't that big a deal… They mostly just made fun of my hair. Peter and his gang tried to cut it once, so I kicked their asses. After that they decided it wasn't worth attacking me directly, so the abuse was only verbal from then on." Heidi explained, looking away when she noticed Levi was watching her with a deep frown on his face as he listened, blushing a little out of embarrassment. She didn't like talking about it enough as it was without people staring at her so intensely. Of course, the reason for the strong expression of disapproval on his face was because it reminded him of how people used to do the same thing to Isabel. That kind of pointless bullying really pissed him off.

"Wait, if you were that strong, then why didn't you just beat them again?" Eren asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Because I was afraid of what my mom would do to me if she found out." Heidi stated seriously. "After the first incident, she threatened to roast me if I ever got in another fight."

"She got mad at you for defending yourself_!_?" Eren asked incredulously.

"Well, looking back knowing what I do now… I think she was probably afraid that I might end up going berserk. I remember there being a few odd moments when she'd sometimes look at me like she was scared of something… It was probably because she knew about what happened to my father's family in the past." Heidi said thoughtfully. "But either way, I wasn't about to risk her wrath. You've never seen her when she's angry, Eren, so you have no idea how scary she could get when you made her mad. Her punishments were always cruelly creative…" She explained with a grim expression on her face.

"Isn't there anyone normal in your family?" Levi asked bluntly with a crease in his brow.

"Heichou, that's a little…" Petra started to whisper.

"Of course." Heidi answered, nonplused. She knew perfectly well what a circus her family was. "There's my cousin Jacob. He's going to start training to become a doctor soon." She said with a proud smile.

"Hm? You mean that little shrimp who was always hiding behind your skirt?" Eren asked, earning himself a sharp look.

"Give him a break, Eren. He was only six." Heidi said tartly. "And he's a lot tougher now." Her grandpa had given Jacob some training, too.

"Oh, that's right!" Hange exclaimed abruptly. "I almost forgot to give you this!" She said, pulling a small package out of her pocket and sliding it across the table to Heidi. "This came for you in the mail yesterday. Looks like its a little something from home."

"Oh, this is Jacob's handwriting." Heidi said when she saw the address on the outside of the package, opening it up. Inside was a box of some small round pellets with a semi-clear hard glaze and a letter.

_Dear Heidi,  
I know you're probably getting sick of drinking that nasty goop, so I tried making a dried version of it in the form of a pill. This way you can get the nutrients you need without having to drink it, and it should be more convenient to carry around with you on the go. I tried covering them in homemade honey candy to make them easier to swallow. I wrote the recipe on the back of this letter in case it works and you want to make more. I hope this helps.  
Love,  
Jacob_

'I love you too…_!_!' Heidi thought, extremely touched by her younger cousin's gift. He knew her so well.

"What is it?" Petra asked curiously. "You look like you're about to cry from happiness."

"That's because I am!" Heidi answered excitedly. "Jacob took pity on me and came up with a new way for me to take that disgusting medicine."

"Oh, so that's what those instructions on the back are for! Are those samples?" Hange asked, reaching out and taking a pellet without permission, popping it into her mouth to test it. "It's sweet!"

"They're meant to be swallowed like pills." Heidi informed her. Hange gulped it down and sat there in silence.

"Well?" Levi asked.

"Yep, no problems with taste." Hange said with a nod. "And it seems like it's dissolving quickly, because I'm already starting to feel like I have more energy. Your cousin did a good job."

"All right!" Heidi cheered, relieved that she wouldn't have to swallow that disgusting muck anymore.


	18. Chapter 18

**Previously:**

"What is it?" Petra asked curiously. "You look like you're about to cry from happiness."

"That's because I am!" Heidi answered excitedly. "Jacob took pity on me and came up with a new way for me to take that disgusting medicine."

"Oh, so that's what those instructions on the back are for! Are those samples?" Hange asked, reaching out and taking a pellet without permission, popping it into her mouth to test it. "It's sweet!"

"They're meant to be swallowed like pills." Heidi informed her. Hange gulped it down and sat there in silence.

"Well?" Levi asked.

"Yep, no problems with taste." Hange said with a nod. "And it seems like it's dissolving quickly, because I'm already starting to feel like I have more energy. Your cousin did a good job."

"All right!" Heidi cheered, relieved that she wouldn't have to swallow that disgusting muck anymore.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Panic  
**

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Heidi continued to train with Levi to master activating and deactivating her controlled berserker state more efficiently.

Heidi maneuvered from tree to tree using her 3DMG with expert speed and agility, with humanity's strongest soldier hot on her tail. She reached a break in the forest line where a path to the castle cut through. The gap across the road was twice the length of their gear's grappling line. She had nowhere to go. Levi was upon her in an instant. Heidi's eyes widened as his blade swung towards her neck, and her pupils dilated. The berserk Heidi immediately released the grappling hook embedded in the tree and managing to avoid being scalped by hair as she used a burst of gas to hurl herself down. Levi plummeted after her, but she was already making her next move; using a thick branch just below for a springboard as she launched herself forward, flying out over the wide road without a line. Levi's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he watched her soar a third of the way across with the incredible momentum she had just gained using only the muscles in her legs to jump, using the gas to extend it's distance another 1/6th of the way before firing the grappling hook, traveling just enough distance for it to be able to safely embed its self in the tree. Heidi reeled herself in and swung up to perch on a tree branch, but there was no time to rest. Without having to look, she knew Levi was already sprinting across the road. Rather than waiting for him to catch up, she spun around and launched herself at him before he had a chance to fire his grappling hook and took the fight to him, drawing her blades. Levi raised his own blades, crossing them to block her attack, but she was already one step ahead of him. Instead of clashing her blades with his, Heidi held her legs together as she swung them forward, planting her feet firmly on the flat sides of his blades, as she spread her legs to push them apart, slamming them flat against the ground as she landed. Levi immediately jumped back and just barely managed to reload in time to block as she lunged at him again. Levi spun around and slammed the edges of his blades into the flat sides of hers with enough force to snap them in half and fired a grappling hook at her as she leapt back to reload. Heidi raised one of the snapped blades to try to deflect it off course, but the momentum of the wire caused it to wrap around the blade. Levi had her right where he wanted her. Before she could release the snagged blade, he reeled her in, grabbing her by the neck as he held a blade to her throat. But Heidi wasn't going down so easily. She had the sharp edge of her other snapped blade pressed against his side, ready to slice if he decided to do the same.

"All right. That's enough for today." Levi said, pleased with her progress. "Let's head back." They both withdrew their blades, and Heidi closed her eyes as she took a deep, calming breath. When she exhaled and opened them again, she was back to normal. Heidi quickly pulled out one of her recovery pills and popped it in her mouth as they started making their way back to the castle to rejoin the others.

"Welcome back, Heichou, Heidi!" Petra greeted them cheerfully upon their return. "How was it?"

"I managed to avoid being caught by Heichou for _twenty_ minutes in row this time!" Heidi said excitedly, feeling very proud of herself. And she had every right to be. Most people wouldn't have lasted more than a minute.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Petra said, extremely impressed. "And you aren't experiencing any fatigue?"

"Nope." Heidi answered with a smile. "If I don't keep it activated the whole time, I can keep fighting longer without it taking as much of a toll on my body." She would have been able to keep going longer if she hadn't been caught. It was a huge improvement over when she first started out and had to keep moving until she was ready to drop in order to come out of it.

"How did you figure that out?" Eren asked curiously.

"Trial and error." She answered tightly. She'd rather not go into detail about the constellation of bruises Levi had given her in the process.

"Keh! Don't get too cocky rookie." Auruo said moodily. "Heichou was probably just going easy on you."

"Did you?" Hange asked Levi while the others chatted away.

"As if I would do something so useless." Levi retorted dismissively. "Her fighting abilities are already well above average even before she goes berserk, so once that super-human strength and perception gets thrown into the mix, she becomes a real handful."

"Hmm… Sounds to me like you're having fun." Hange said with a knowing smile.

"…" Levi didn't answer her out loud, but the look in his eyes was a little more placid than usual as he watched Heidi interact with Eren and the rest of his squad. Well, enough of that. "Eren." He said abruptly, getting the boy's attention. "I've thought of a way to stop you just short of killing you."

"… What?" Eren said, caught off guard, while everyone else in the room immediately went silent, giving their leader their full attention.

"I said before that the only way to stop you once you became a titan was to kill you… but with this method, you'll survive with only sever injuries." Levi continued as he walked over to the black board and picked up a piece of chalk to draw a somewhat wobbly and vaguely human-shaped figure. Heidi smiled wryly as she watched. She was doing her best to remain serious, but Levi Heichou's drawing skills were pretty special… "It will be tricky, though, as it requires extremely refined skills to execute. In short, we would have to cut a big piece of meat out of the nape of your titan form's neck with you inside of it. We'll end up chopping off your hands and feet in the process, though…" Levi explained, adding dotted lines to his drawing to show where to cut. Suddenly, the drawing wasn't so amusing. Beads of nervous sweat rolled down the side of Eren's face as he and everyone else stared at the diagram with grim expressions. "No big deal, since you'll just grow them back anyway, like a damned lizard or something." Levi concluded, setting down the piece of chalk. "Disgusting." Heidi sweat-dropped, feeling sorry for Eren. She didn't like the idea of having to maim him like that, but it definitely beat killing him if he lost control. Even if she could beat Eren's titan form down with just her fists, it wouldn't do them much good, because it would just keep healing and continue rampaging as long as he was still inside of it.

"W-Wait a moment, please." Eren said anxiously, looking deeply disturbed. "I don't know how to make them grow back… Isn't there some other way?" Levi narrowed his eyes as he fixed him with a steely gaze.

"Are you saying you don't want to take any risks or make any sacrifices?" He asked sternly, extremely disappointed unimpressed by the boy's lack of resolve.

"N-No, sir…" Eren stammered nervously.

"Then get over it." Levi ordered bluntly. "It's a risk for us, too. We have just a much a chance of getting killed in the process as you do, so relax."

"…!" Eren gasped in realization. That meant everyone, including Heidi… He glanced sideways at her out the corner of his eye. Her expression was grim, but unwavering. That's right, Heidi had already put her own life on the line many times in order to master her new ability. "Yes, sir…" Eren said as he faced Levi again, steeling his own resolve. "Understood."

"Th-Then… does that mean I can proceed with the experiment?" Hange asked.

"… It's a big risk…" Levi said, glancing at her. "On the other hand, we can't afford _not_ to poke and prod him." They needed to confirm what they were dealing with firsthand.

"Can I be the one to plan it out?" Hange said with an intense expression on her face. It was taking everything she had to contain her excitement. "Eren… If there's something we don't know… we should find out. It's absolutely worth putting our lives on the line." She stated seriously.

–∞–

Several hours later, they were ready to begin, and Eren found himself standing at the bottom of an old well.

"When we're ready, we'll fire a signal flare." Hange called down to him. "After that, it's up to you!"

"Roger!" Eren shouted back.

"All right, this dry well should be enough to contain him even in titan form if he loses self-control…" Hange said as bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face, brimming with anticipation. With that, everyone mounted their horses and moved into position. Hange and Levi would be closest to the well, while Heidi and the rest of his squad waited on standby at the tree line as the next line of defense; behind them were the rest of the corps members who had come to assist in the experiment.

_FSSSS!_

Once everyone was ready, Hange fired a green signal flare over the well.

"The signal!" Eren said, watching the sky from the bottom of the well. 'Transforming into a titan… I haven't tired it since the operation to plug the wall…' Eren thought nervously, staring at his hand. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the side of his face. 'If I go wild again… This time, Squad Levi might kill me...' He thought as he bit his hand, digging in his teeth into his own flesh.

A breeze swept over the flat land above as the others waited for him to transform. According to the reports given by eyewitnesses, his transformation would be accompanied by an explosion of steam. Heidi furrowed her brow in concern as she watched. Should it be taking this long?

"…?" Hange said, also wondering what was taking him. "Maybe he didn't see the signal?"

"… No. There are no guarantees to what we're doing." Levi said, moving his horse forward. They weren't exactly dealing with the most reliable guy… "Hey, Eren! We're calling it off for now!" He called out as he dismounted and approached the well. Levi's eyes widened slightly when they adjusted to the darkness at the bottom of the well.

"Did something happen?" Hange asked when she noticed the look on his face, coming over to join him. "!" She gasped when she saw it for herself. Eren was still human in his human form, but his hands were bleeding profusely. Several chunks of flesh were missing from all over both of his hands where he had bitten it off completely. His mouth was smeared with blood.

"Squad Leader Hange…" Eren said as he stared up at them with wide eyes, drenched in cold sweat. "I can't seem to turn into a titan…"

Eren seemed to be in a state of shock as he was retrieved from the well. He couldn't believe it… How could he have failed?

"Eren…_!_!" Heidi called out as she rushed over to him, gasping as her eyes widened in horror at the state of his hands. "Hey, are you all right_!_? Get a grip!" She said urgently, pressing her thumbs into some uninjured spots in his hands as she held them to jolt him back into awareness.

"Ow_!_!" Eren winced in pain. "Heidi!" He exclaimed, surprised to find that she was suddenly right in front of him.

"Geez, look at you! If Mikasa finds out about this, she'll bury me. Come on, we need to get your wounds treated." She chided him with a frown, concerned. "Even if they'll heal, it still hurts, right?" The crease in Levi's brow deepened as he watched them. To think that boy would have enough determination to mutilate himself to that extent in such a short a mount of time… Eren had overcome his initial fears and hesitation well. These two kids continued to surprise him.

–∞–

Tables had been set up for everyone to sit at so they could take a break while they waited for Eren to recover before trying again.

"The self-inflicted wounds on your hands aren't closing up?" Levi asked with a frown after they removed his bloody bandages to check and replaced them with some fresh ones.

"No…" Eren answered, disturbed. What did this mean? Had he lost the ability to turn a titan…?

"If you lose your ability to transform into a titan, the great ambition to reseal Wall Maria that's riding on it will also go down the fucking drain." Levi stated sternly, staring down at him with piercing grey eyes. "This is an order: _do something about it_."

"Yes, sir…" Eren answered, looking distraught. He knew what he had to do. He _wanted_ to do it, but…

"Try not to take it too personally, Eren…" Heidi whispered as their disgruntled leader walked away with his tea, and Petra went after him. "But still, it looks like we've hit a real snag, huh…?" She mused with a frown. Like Levi Heichou said, if Eren couldn't turn into a titan again… "Maybe 'self-inflicted pain' isn't the only requirement to activate your abilities…" From what she had read about his recovered memories, it sounded like Eren's father did something to him. He probably had the ability to shift into a titan all along, but never knew because he always healed like a normal human. Maybe his healing abilities went dormant in between using his titan form? After all, he'd done plenty of stupid things to get himself injured over the past three years without signs of anything special happening. "If only we knew more about it…"

"Don't get so down, you two." Erd told them.

"B-But…" Eren said anxiously.

"Well, it just goes to show he's more human than we thought…" Auruo added.

"It's a hell of a lot better than rushing to your death…" Erd said.

"Yeah… There's no such thing as being too cautious…" Gunther agreed.

'Huh? Why is it that our seniors don't feel disappointed about my failure… even though they know my inability to turn into a titan spells big trouble for everyone…?' Eren wondered, taken aback.

'Aren't they a little too… relieved?' Heidi thought, concerned, as she and Eren cast a glance at the others.

"Ow…" Eren hissed in pain when he tried to pick up a spoon to stir his tea, dropping it.

"Are you okay?" Erd asked.

"Yes, I'm fine…" Eren said as he leaned over in his seat, reaching for the spoon on the ground.

"Oh, Eren, let me…" Heidi started to offer, when she heard a crackle and saw a spark or something arc around his outstretched hand. "Get back—!" She yelled with wide eyes, quickly jumping away from the explosion of steam that followed.

_KABOOM!_

Petra and Levi's eyes widened as a blast of hot air rushed over them from behind while the others at the table quickly jumped out of the way, thanks to Heidi's warning, using the table to shield themselves from the steam.

"_!_!_?_" The other corpsmen gasped when they heard the explosion and looked over to see the huge pillar of steam rising up into the air.

"Hey! What was that_!_?" One of them shouted. "An Explosion_!_?"

Heidi didn't waste anytime drawing her blades as she rushed over to Eren, fully prepared to cut him out if he had lost control. What she saw as the steam began to clear surprised her. The titan form was merely an incomplete part of the torso with one arm, and Eren was sitting on top. He looked just as startled as the rest of them, and he was frantically trying to retrieve the arm that was stuck inside the titan flesh. There was absolutely zero killing intent.

"Levi Heichou!" She shouted, sheathing her swords as she skidded to a halt.

"Yeah, I know." Levi said calmly, standing beside her with his blades still undrawn, looking in the opposite direction. However… they now had another problem.

"Wh-Why now_!_?" Eren shouted, panicking.

"Calm down." Levi said firmly.

"Levi Heichou!" Eren said shakily, glancing over his shoulder. "This is…" Eren froze when he saw what was going on behind him.

"I said calm down… _all of you_." Levi ordered as he and Heidi stood between Eren and the rest of his squad. Petra, Erd, Auruo, and Gunther all had their blades drawn, and they were glaring up at Eren with frightening expressions on their faces. Levi and Heidi watched warily as they began slowly moving into position to surround Eren.

_"Eren! What's the meaning of this!_?" Erd demanded sternly.

"Wha… What_!_?" Eren said, startled.

_"Why do it now, without permission!? Answer me, damn it!_!" Erd shouted harshly.

"Erd, hold on…" Levi said calmly.

_"Answer us, Eren!_!" Auruo yelled. _"What's the big idea!_?"

"…!" Eren gasped.

"No… That can wait." Gunther said sternly. _"First, prove you're not hostile towards us… or rather, towards the human race!"_

"Eh_!_?" Eren exclaimed, shocked. Did they all seriously think he had done this on purpose_!_?

'Damn, they're all too panicked to listen…!' She realized seeing the looks on their faces. They were all sweating bullets.

_"Prove it! This instance! It's your duty!"_ Gunther yelled.

_"The moment you so much as twitch that hand, you can kiss you're fuckin' head goodbye!_! _Get it, you bastard!_?" Auruo snapped furiously. _"I ain't kiddin' I'm more than capable of doin' you in!_! _Wanna try me, huh!_?"

"_!_!" Heidi gasped, furrowing her brow. She clenched her fists, preparing to enter a controlled berserk state so she would have the speed to stop them if necessary.

"Auruo! I _said_ calm down!" Levi ordered sternly.

"Heichou! Heidi! Please move away from Eren! You're too close!" Petra yelled.

"No, you guys are the ones who need to back off." Levi told her. "Stand down."

"_But why!_?" Petra demanded anxiously.

"Intuition." He replied seriously. He had sensed from the start that, despite appearances, Eren wasn't a threat, and they were all way to panicked to listen to logic.

_"Why so silent, Eren!_? _Say something!"_ Erd shouted.

"I…!" Eren tried to answer, but he was cut off.

_"Don't you move a fuckin' finger!_!" Auruo yelled.

_"Show me proof, now!"_ Gunther yelled.

_"Eren!_!_" _Petra shouted.

"I'm trying to…" Eren nervously tried to explain again.

_"Answer me!_!_!_" Erd yelled. _"What are your intentions—"_

_"Hey!_! _Could you all please just shut up for a minute!_!_?"_ Eren yelled angrily, finally snapping. How the hell did they expect him to answer if they all kept cutting him off like that_!_?

"_!_!" They all gasped, startled by the sudden outburst. Even Levi was looking at him now.

_WHAM._

"_!_!_?_" Eren exclaimed, startled when he suddenly found himself being head-butted by Heidi.

"Eren…" She said in a calm but serious tone, standing on top of the partially-formed titan with her forehead still pressed against his, as they all stared at her, stunned. "I know they're being jerks, but you need to calm down, too. Don't give them a reason to attack."

"Ereeennnn_!_!_! _Can I touch that arm of yours_!_!_?_" Hange called out at the top of her lungs as she came speeding towards them from the forest. "_Can I!_? It's okay, isn't it_!_? I _can_, right_!_? I'm just gonna _touch it _that's all, I promise_!_!_!_" She exclaimed, drooling with excitement as she charged at him.

"Squad Leader Hange…_!_?" Eren said, surprised. "Wait a sec—" But it was too late, her hands had already made contact with the titan flesh.

"OOOOH!" She yelled as a sizzling sound was heard. "Hot!_!_!" She cried, running away. "It's soooo damn hot without skin on_!_!_!_ So incredibly hot_!_!_!_" She shouted as she slid onto her knees, raising her burnt hands to the sky as she stared up at them with wonder, blushing happily at her new discovery.

"Squad Leader!" Moblit shouted anxiously. "You're too reckless for your own good_!_!"

"Say, Eren! Aren't you hot_!_?" Hange asked excitedly as she jumped back onto her feet and spun around to face him again.

"Yeah, he's burning up…" Heidi answered while Eren stared at her, stunned.

"Heidi! How'd you get up there_!_? No fair, I want to do that too_!_!" Hange said excitedly, staring at the young girl with an open look of envy. "What's it look like where his right hand's connected to the titan flesh_!_?" She asked, trying to figure out how to get up there without burning herself again. "I'm dying to know!"

"Squad Leader_!_!" Moblit yelled, worried she was seriously going to try.

"!" Eren gasped as his eyes widened in realization. 'That's right! If I can just pull my hand out… Stupid titan body!' He thought, gritting his teeth, as he leaned back and began pulling with all his might. "Nnnngh!"

"H-Hey, Eren! I warned you not to pull any weird shit on us_!_!" Auruo yelled nervously, raising his swords.

"Relax! He's just trying to…" Heidi began to explain as the connective tissue snapped.

"Urgh! Ugh!" Eren grunted in pain as he succeeded in yanking himself free, falling off the back of his titan form to land on the ground near Levi Heichou where Heidi had been previously standing. Heidi jumped off too as the titan body began to give off steam, indicating that it was beginning to disappear.

"What_!_? Eren, no_!_!_!_" Hange cried with disappointment, jumping up and down as she held her head. "Why did you have to do that_!_? There's still tons of stuff I wanted to…_!_?" She gasped, freezing when she noticed something peculiar about the tiny spoon sticking out of the giant hand's grasp. Eren was panting, breathing hard as Levi moved closer.

"Heichou…" Eren said though labored breath.

"How do you feel?" Levi asked as Heidi came over to join them and check on Eren.

"Not so… good…" Eren answered tiredly, feeling physically and mentally exhausted as he glanced around at the others, eyeing them warily.


	19. Chapter 19

**Previously:**

_"Urgh! Ugh!" Eren grunted in pain as he succeeded in yanking himself free, falling off the back of his titan form to land on the ground near Levi Heichou where Heidi had been previously standing. Heidi jumped off too as the titan body began to give off steam, indicating that it was beginning to disappear._

_"What!_?_ Eren, no!_!_!_" _Hange cried with disappointment, jumping up and down as she held her head. "Why did you have to do that!_? _There's still tons of stuff I wanted to…!_?" _She gasped, freezing when she noticed something peculiar about the tiny spoon sticking out of the giant hand's grasp. Eren was panting, breathing hard as Levi moved closer._

_"Heichou…" Eren said though labored breath._

_"How do you feel?" Levi asked as Heidi came over to join them and check on Eren._

_"Not so… good…" Eren answered tiredly, feeling physically and mentally exhausted as he glanced around at the others, eyeing them warily._

* * *

**Chapter 19: Promise  
**

* * *

"I… I know that I'm still alive only because I'm here… And I also know that I'm a potential enemy to the humanity…" Eren said gloomily as he sat at the bottom of the steps leading down into the dungeon, waiting with Heidi and Levi until the others were ready for him. "It's just… Until the moment they all turned hostile towards me, I didn't realize… just how much everyone distrusted me."

"…" Heidi furrowed her brow slightly as she watched him with a frown. Poor Eren. He was taking it really hard…

"Damn right, they don't… That's why I chose them." Levi stated matter-of-factly.

"…!" Eren said, surprised.

"Petra Ral: 10 solo kills, 48 kill assists. Auruo Bossard: 39 solo kills, 9 kill assists. Erd Gin: 14 solo kills, 32 kill assists. Gunther Schultz: 7 solo kills, 40 kill assists." Levi said, reciting the stats from their records. "'Come back home alive, and you're a full-fledged member,' is the common view in the Survey Corps… But those guys have managed to live through hell not one but countless times, it's bore its fruit. They've learned how to survive. When facing a titan, you can never know enough. No matter how thorough your planning is, lots of situations you can't make heads or tail of will come up anyway. You find yourself in a situation where no amount of thinking will do you any good. When that happens, your best chance is your speed… and fast, firm actions based on your prediction of the worst-case scenario." He explained calmly. "Still, that doesn't mean they've turned into a heartless mob. It's impossible not to feel anything when we point our swords at you. But… don't expect them to regret it." He concluded, glancing down at the two kids sitting on the step.

"…" Eren said as he and Heidi both looked up at him in something akin to awe. Heidi wasn't that surprised by most of what he had said, but she appreciated hearing it directly from him.

"Levi Heichou…" Moblit called from the top of the stairs, getting their attention. "Squad Leader is asking for you."

"Took that four-eyed annoyance long enough…" Levi muttered as he stopped leaning against the wall and stepped around Heidi and Eren. "Hey, let's go." He told them, marching up the stairs.

"Yes, sir!" Heidi and Eren said, immediately jumping up to follow him.

"What, were you enjoying a long sweet dump or something?" Levi asked bluntly as they entered the room where everyone else was waiting for them.

'For a clean-freak, Heichou has a really dirty mouth…' Heidi thought wryly, sweat-dropping.

"Well, that too, but… mostly I got held up explaining what happened to our superiors." Hange replied, nonplused. "Anyway, Eren, take a look at this." She said, placing a small bundle on the table, unwrapping it to reveal a small spoon.

"A teaspoon?" Eren asked, surprised.

'Ah, that's…' Heidi thought, eyes widening slightly as she recognized it.

"That's right." Hange said. "That right titan hand you sprouted was gripping it. You were holding it like this, between the thumb and the index finger." She explained as she reached out and picked it up to demonstrate.

"… Huh?" Eren said, surprised. Why would…?

"Well, I can see from the look on Heidi's face that she already knows where I'm going with this, but… I find it hard to believe a grasp like this could be a coincidence. Add to that the fact that for some reason there's no visible signs of damage from heat or excessive force… Any thoughts as to why?" Hange asked Eren.

"Ah!" Eren gasped as his eyes widened slightly in realization. "I remember bending over to pick it up… and I transformed right after that."

"… I see…" Hange said, looking down at the spoon in her hand. It was just as she had suspected. "That's probably the reason why you couldn't transform while in the well…"

"So you think that too, Squad Leader Hange…?" Heidi asked with knowing look in her eyes.

"…?" Eren said, glancing between the two of them.

"Yes. 'I must kill the titans.' 'I need to defend against that cannon.' 'I must lift that rock.' In all the cases where you successfully transformed, you had a clear objective in your mind before you tried to change. It's likely that self-harm is not the only trigger… You might not be able to do it without having a specific purpose."

"!" Eren said, glancing at Heidi. It was just like she had suggested earlier. "I agree that the current case resembles the time when I needed to defend against the cannon ball… But still…!" He said, looking at his healed hand as a bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side if his face. "I transformed into a titan just to pick up a spoon…? That's messed up…"

"… Maybe it was a delayed reaction." Heidi suggested. "You had already fulfilled the requirement for 'self-harm', so the moment you had a clear goal in mind, your body reacted by changing…"

"Mm. That sounds like a possibility." Hange agreed. 'As expected, I can't bring myself to think that this is a natural phenomenon.' She thought. Heidi's ability to go berserk was one thing, since it was essentially just an evolutionary enhancement on when the average human experienced a rush of adrenaline in an emergency situation, but Eren's ability involved transforming into something else entirely. 'It looks more like there's some kind of purpose at work, a tool-like quality…But if that's the case… then what about the titans who exist only to eat humans? Who benefits from _them_? I was too naïve… I want to reconsider my view on the way he returns to the human form as well. But there's no time for that before the next expedition now that we'll be starting the group formation training soon…'

"In other words… you didn't break the rules about transforming on purpose, right?" Gunther asked Eren.

"… Right." Eren answered a bit nervously, glad they were starting to believe him. Gunther let out a sigh and exchanged a glance with the rest of his squad-mates. They all nodded in silent agreement. They each raised one of their hands and bit down hard enough to break the skin.

"Huh_!_?" Hange gasped, taken aback, while Heidi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait… What are you all doing_!_?" Eren asked, alarmed. Heidi noted that Levi didn't look at all surprised.

"Ow…" Gunther said, wincing, as he stared down at his injured hand.

"Man, that hurts…" Erd said, furrowing his brow as he cradled his. "Eren… you bit your hands like this repeatedly despite the pain, didn't you?" He didn't know how he could stand to bite it off.

"We misjudged you… This is our small way of apologizing, for what it's worth." Gunther explained. "We agreed upon this earlier, so…"

"Eh?" Eren said, surprised.

"But it's our job to keep you in check! That still stands!" Auruo added a bit defiantly, looking rather pale as he suppressed the urge to grimace at the pain he was in. They weren't wrong about doing their job! "So don't get cocky, you brat!"

"I'm sorry, Eren." Petra apologized. "You must be disappointed in us for being afraid and acting like fools…" Despite being so much greener, even a rookie like Heidi had displayed better judgment than them. They should have listened to Heichou when he told them to back off. "But… But even so… One person alone can't do much. That's why we act as an organization." She continued determinedly. "We rely on you… And I hope you'll rely on us. We'd like for you to be able to trust us."

–∞–

A few days later, everyone was busy getting ready for and helping out with the recruitment solicitation ceremony, where each branch would give a speech to invite the graduating trainees to join them. For some reason Erwin wanted Heidi and Eren to hear the recruitment speech he would be giving to the rest of their graduating class in Trost, even though they had technically already joined their ranks. It also happened to be the day the Military Police had said they would release the details of the investigation they had been conducting on the case of Sonny and Bean's deaths.

"So in the end, I guess they didn't find any soldiers who used the 3DMG without authorization." Gunther said while they waited backstage for the event to start, having just heard the news that the case had simply been dropped without any definitive results. "Who the hell did it, then…?"

"I have no idea…" Erd said. "To tell the truth, I'm more worried about the recruitment ceremony at the moment. I wonder how many crazy new recruits we'll get."

"Hey, Eren, is there anyone from your training group planning to join us?" Gunther asked curiously.

"Yes, there is." Eren answered. "Or rather, there were…" He corrected himself, looking down as he remembered how positive everyone in his group had been while they were cleaning the canons before the attack on Trost. "I don't know how they feel about it now…" It suddenly occurred to him that a few people were missing from their group. "Um, where are Levi Heichou and Heidi…?" He asked, glancing around. Petra was gone, too…

"Heichou is discussing something with the Commander." Petra said as she and Auruo rejoined them. "And Heidi had some visitors." She added with a smile.

–∞–

"Jacob~!" Heidi squealed with delight as she threw her arms around her younger cousin, glomping him so hard in her excitement that she nearly knocked him over. "Look you! You're almost as tall as me, now!" He really shot up over the last three years. She couldn't believe it had been so long since they last met.

"She says that like it's some huge accomplishment…" Tollak muttered under his breath. He had never gotten over the fact that Heidi had inherited her mother's tiny stature instead of the above average height associated with his side of the family. "I let him come along this time because I knew you'd want to see him, but this isn't just a social call, Heidi." He said strictly, letting her know this was serious business.

"Ah, I had a feeling you'd say that…" Heidi said, a little disappointed to have her fun cut short. But she didn't think Commander Erwin would have let them have a room to themselves if it wasn't something important.

"Please listen to him, Heidi. This is really serious…" Jacob said urgently with worried look on his face.

"While cleaning up the other day, I found a page that had come loose from the book on berserkergang. It contained some startling information." Tollak stated grimly. "Apparently, over the course of their studies, our Amundsen ancestors came to realize that using the berserkergang came with a heavy price. The members of the Amundsens who never went berserk typically had very long lifespans and appeared to age much more slowly in comparison to average humans… However, those rare few who could go berserk and survived to die of natural causes... often passed away much sooner." The author had gone into a very detailed scientific explanation on why going berserk is so hard on the body. The human body normally only used just under 40% of its full potential, but entering berserkergang temporarily removed that limit, increasing the body's productivity by 50%. However, that limit of 40% existed to protect the human body. Too much exertion of force could destroy the body, especially when used repeatedly throughout the years. "In short, you can't get something from nothing. Every time you use berserkergang, you're shortening your own life." Tollak stated gravely as he finished summing it up for her. Heidi's eyes widened.

"I see…" She said quietly as a bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face. "… Have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, just you." Tollak answered with a grim expression on his face. He had told Erwin that he needed to speak with his granddaughter because there was something he had forgotten to tell her, but he hadn't gone into any details.

"Good." She said tensely. "I'd like to keep it that way." It was bad enough that Jacob knew… Everyone else had enough on their plates to worry about already.

"B-But…!" Jacob started to protest worriedly.

"Don't worry." Heidi told him, placing a hand on his head. "I'll be more careful from now on." She promised, giving him a reassuring smile.

"It's time." Levi stated firmly as he opened the door.

"Yes, sir." Heidi answered dutifully, embracing her cousin and grandfather as she whispered goodbye before leaving them again. Levi furrowed his brow as they walked back to join the others, frowning as he remembered the disturbing news he happened to overhear when he came to retrieve her.

"Heidi… From now on, you aren't to enter a berserk state unless it's a matter of life or death." He said firmly, causing her to glance up at him in surprise. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir…" She said obediently, wondering if he had overheard. Either way, she way she was grateful to him. Now she could keep her promise.

* * *

Author's note: Does anyone really want to hear the speech again (because Heidi and Eren are already aware of pretty much everything he's about to tell the other recruits), or should I just skip ahead to the after party? Also, I added some links to my profile for pictures of Jacob and Tollak.


	20. Chapter 20

**Previously: **

"Don't worry." Heidi told him, placing a hand on his head. "I'll be more careful from now on." She promised, giving him a reassuring smile.

"It's time." Levi stated firmly as he opened the door.

"Yes, sir." Heidi answered dutifully, embracing her cousin and grandfather as she whispered goodbye before leaving them again. Levi furrowed his brow as they walked back to join the others, frowning as he remembered the disturbing news he happened to overhear when he came to retrieve her.

"Heidi… From now on, you aren't to enter a berserk state unless it's a matter of life or death." He said firmly, causing her to glance up at him in surprise. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir…" She said obediently, wondering if he had overheard. Either way, she way she was grateful to him. Now she could keep her promise.

* * *

**Chapter 20: A Bit of Fun**

* * *

Commander Erwin's speech had been very sobering and severe, but Heidi and Eren had a pleasant surprise waiting for them back at the old HQ. Upon their return, Levi had ordered them to change into their civilian clothes before coming to the dining hall. When Heidi and Eren entered to join the others, they found that everyone else had changed into civvies, too. The hall had been decorated, and there was a nice spread of food and drinks laid out on the table.

"Oh, there they are!" Hange said excitedly as everyone let out a cheer and started congratulating them.

"Huh?" Eren said, blinking in confusion.

"This is…?" Heidi asked, glancing around at the colorful handmade decorations, which had obviously been the work of Petra.

"Heidi, Eren, this is your official 'welcome to the corps' party." Levi informed them with a straight face, already holding a glass of vine. "Show us a party trick." He ordered, cutting straight to the point.

"Yeah, do something, Eren_!_!" The guys said excitedly, already nursing beers.

"Don't lose, Heidi_!_!" Petra cheered.

"Whoa, way to put the pressure on_!_!" Eren exclaimed, sweating nervously.

"They've already turned it into some sort of competition…" Heidi remarked wryly, sweat-dropping. What was with this boys vs. girls atmosphere? She was starting to wonder who this party was _really_ meant to entertain…

"Making the new recruits perform a party trick in order to deepen our bonds… Is a time-honored tradition within the Survey Corps!" Hange explained as she snuck up behind them, making sure they couldn't make a run for it.

'So they're all bound by a bond of shared humiliation…?' Heidi thought dubiously, raising an eyebrow at their smiling faces. 'Even Heichou…?' She had a really hard time picturing him participating in something like that…

"We all did it when we joined too!" Petra said with a smile.

"It can be whatever you want_!_! Now hurry up and do something!" Gunther said excitedly.

"O-Okay!" Eren said nervously. "Entry #1: Eren! If it goes well, I expect some applause! I will now bite my hand and turn into a titan!"

"Permission denied." Levi said bluntly, giving him a good whack on the head, while the others exchanged uneasy glances, clearly relieved that he had stopped him.

'How else did he expect that to end…?' Heidi wondered wryly, sweat-dropping.

"Well… I guess I could do my 'terrifying scars of the amazing regenerating man' show…" Eren said as he picked himself up off the floor, rubbing his sore head.

"Ew, gross_!_!_! _We don't want to see that while we're eating_!_!" Petra, Gunther and Erd shouted, horrified by the idea.

"Eren, what did you do _before_ you knew you were a titan…?" Heidi asked, seconding that emotion.

"Why don't _you_ do something, then?" Eren asked her, chagrined.

"Uh, well…" She said a bit hesitantly. "I guess I could—"

"Cheating death doesn't count." Levi interrupted before she could finish.

"Eh_!_?" Heidi exclaimed in disappointment. But that cut out the better half of her repertoire!

'Just what was she planning on doing…?' Eren wondered a little nervously.

"Tch! You new rookies are pathetic…" Auruo said. "We brought the house down when it was our turn!"

"And out of all of us, Auruo's trick was totally the best!" Petra said with a grin.

"Yeah." Erd agreed. "A few people even ended up in the medical office with difficulty breathing."

"Huh_!_?" Auruo said, shocked.

"Auruo will show you a thing or two! So get a good look!" Gunther said as the three of them began pushing their teammate front and center.

"Ah! Cut it out, you guys_!_!" Auruo yelled. "All right, fine!" He said, deciding he might as well just get it over with. "My ear is connected to my mouth, and I'll stick my finger through to prove it." He declared, poking his finger in his ear and poking his tongue into the cheek on the opposite side of his mouth, moving it as he wiggled the finger in his ear to make it look like they were connected, sweating nervously with everyone's eyes on him.

"Haha… Auruo is the best after all." His three teammates said in unison with the same half-hearted expressions on their faces.

"What do you mean 'after all'_!_?" He demanded incredulously. "Spare me the lukewarm smiles!"

"…" Heidi said as she stared at Auruo with an open look of disappointment on her face. The others had made it sound like people had to be hospitalized with trouble breathing, so she had been expecting something funny enough to split her sides...

"I don't want to see that kind of face either_!_!" He snapped with a vein throbbing on his forehead. Was this brat trying to pick a fight with him_!_?

"Geez… That was just as creepy as my scar thing." Eren said nervously, exhaling a sigh of relief now that it was over.

"Don't tell us you don't know how he did it_!_?" They all shouted incredulously. They were seriously beginning to worry about this boy!

"You guys do something too!" Auruo told Petra and the others, blushing out of embarrassment.

"Fine, I'll do it." Petra said bravely. "Here's my impression of Heichou trying to drink tea that's too hot!" She announced boldly, quickly grabbing a prop teacup as she tucked a napkin into the front of her shirt like a cravat.

'Wha_!_?' Erd and Gunther thought as their jaws dropped, eyeing their stern squad leader nervously.

"Ohh_!_?" Heidi gasped, impressed by her courage in the face of almost certain death. They all watched as Petra took a seat, mimicking Levi's posture perfectly in every way, right down to his unique way of holding the cup. She pretended to take a sip and froze abruptly with her brow deeply furrowed and tight scowl upon her face.

"…" Levi stared at her with an extra crease in his brow. Was that really what he looked like…?

"Pft!" Heidi immediately had to clap a hand over her mouth. It was just too perfect—both Petra's impression, and the look on Heichou's face when he saw it! She thought it was kind of cute, actually, in an odd way… It kind of reminded her of the look on a cat's face when you accidentally gave it milk that was too warm for its sensitive tongue.

'We can't laugh even if we want to_!_!' Eren thought as he and Auruo both bit their lips, trembling with suppressed laughter as they began turning red in the face.

'What an endurance contest_!_!' Auruo thought.

"BWAHAHA_!_!" Hange erupted in an explosion of laughter, leaking tears from her eyes. Petra was the best_!_! And speaking of the best… "Oh, hey, Erd and Gunther_!_!_!_ Look what I found in storage!" She said excitedly, quickly switching gears, as she whipped two old dresses out of the bag next to her chair. Gunther's eyes bulged out of his head and Erd nearly dropped his fork when they saw them. She didn't…! "See? They're the costumes you two wore at your welcome party! Change into these and fire everyone up!"

"Eh, so does this mean they cross…?" Heidi started to ask when the two men each took hold of one of Hange's arms and quickly whisked her out of the room for a little discussion, dresses and all. She and Eren stared after them for a moment in awkward silence. 'I guess they're going to destroy the evidence…'

"Oh, speaking of impressions… Heidi, you should do yours of Commandant's Shadis' way of welcoming new recruits!" Eren suggested with a smirk when he recovered, remembering how hilarious it had been. "It was a masterpiece when you blindsided Jean with it."

"Hm?" Levi said, glancing at them. Shadis…? As in Keith Shadis? He wondered if they were talking about that head-butt thing he used to do back when he was still Commander of the Survey Corps.

"Who's Jean?" Petra asked curiously.

"No one important." Eren answered bluntly. "Just a horse-faced jerk."

"_Wow._" Heidi said, sweat-dropping. Way to hold back, Eren. "But you know, neither Jean nor Peter are here... so who's going to be my victim?" She asked him. "Unless, _you _want to…"

"I decline_!_!" Eren responded immediately, refusing with all his might. Those head-butts really hurt, _especially_ when Heidi did them. Even tough old Commandant Shadis had a bruise on his forehead for a few days after he crashed heads with her!

"… Well, so much for that idea, then…" Heidi remarked with a roll of her eyes, chagrined. He didn't have to be such a wuss about it. Her eyes happened to land on one of the beer bottles they had left behind. "Oh!" She exclaimed, as an idea suddenly occurred to her. "I just thought of a trick I can do! But I'll need a clear glass bottle filled with water, some toothpicks, and a large empty bowl."

"Oh, leave that to me." Petra said, dashing off to the kitchen. She was expecting big things from Heidi.

"Huh? What are you going to do with that?" Eren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, if I explained now, it'd ruin the trick." Heidi said pointedly. Apparently, Petra had run into the others along the way, because Erd, Gunther, and Hange all returned with her.

"Here's the stuff you asked for." Gunther said as he and Erd handed it over.

"Okay." Heidi said, pouring some of the water out of the bottle into the empty bowl. "As you can see with your own eyes, this is normal water…" She turned it back upright and placed her thumb over the over the open bottle neck, then she turned it upside down over the bowl with her thumb still in place. A little bit of water trickled down her hand. "Now, watch closely as I make it… defy gravity!" Heidi declared, carefully removing her thumb.

"_!_?" They all gasped when they saw what happened next. She was holding it completely upside down in the air with nothing to block the opening, and yet not a single drop had fallen once she removed her hand!

"And that's not all…" Heidi said with a grin as she picked up a toothpick. They watched in even further amazement as she inserted it through the opening and the water sucked the toothpick up, floating it all the way to the top.

"Ohh!" Eren exclaimed in amazement.

"Wanna try?" Heidi asked, gesturing to the pile of toothpicks. He nodded eagerly and picked one up, imitating her movements as he inserted another one. Just like before, the toothpick floated all the way to the top without spilling a drop. She let each of them have a turn at it before moving onto the next and last stage of her trick. "And now… Gravity is restored!" She said, tapping the side of the bottle with one finger to open the floodgates and empty all the water out into the bowl, toothpicks and all.

"That was so cool_!_!" Eren and Petra exclaimed.

"Yeah, that was a neat trick." Erd agreed.

"Way better than Auruo's." Gunther added.

"Hey_!_?" Auruo shouted indignantly. "Tch! How did you do that anyway?" He asked. "There must be some kind of trick…"

"It's no trick, just simple physics! The way she held it allowed the surface tension of the water to build up and create a vacuum inside the bottle, which not only kept the water inside, but allowed for the toothpicks to be sucked up inside, right?" Hange said with a bright smile, as if it should have been obvious. They all glanced from her to Heidi.

"Uh, yeah…" Heidi said a bit sheepishly as her cheeks flushed a little under their scrutiny. "… What she said."

"How did you figure all that out?" Eren asked, still impressed.

"It was a happy accident." Heidi replied with a wry smile.

"And the toothpicks?" Petra asked.

"… There really isn't that much to do out in the country…" Heidi answered, rubbing the back of her neck. Once they figured out how to replicate the effect, she and Jacob had done all sorts of experiments to see what else they could do with it. "One time we even made a recorder out of a carrot…"

"A recorder…?" Auruo asked dubiously, thinking he must have misheard.

"… Out of a carrot?" Gunther finished as they all exchanged a skeptical glance.

"And it worked?" Erd asked.

"Well, it only played three notes… but yes." Heidi answered with a nod of her head.

"…" Levi stared at her. So in her spare time between farming, hunting, and learning how to fight and become an escape artist… she made musical instruments out of vegetables…? This kid had a really unique upbringing. "All right, why don't we get back to the main event? We still haven't seen anything from our other star of the day." He said pointedly, redirecting everyone's attention towards Eren, who suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You've had plenty of time to think of something, right?"

"N-No, I still haven't thought of—" Eren started to say shakily, when Levi grabbed him by the back of the neck in a way that really unnerved him.

"I'm not going to let you tell me you've got nothing." Levi said rather forcefully with a dark look on his face, keeping a good grip on the boy to prevent him from doing a runner. Everyone had to pay their due; no exceptions.

"Would you like some help, Eren?" Hange asked.

"Squad Leader Hange! Yes, please help me!" Eren cried in relief.

"Whose hand me downs do you want to wear_!_?" She asked excitedly with sparkling eyes, holding up the two dresses from before. "Gunther's or Erd's_!_?"

"Neither_!_!" He shouted incredulously. Why did she still have them_!_?

"Hmm?" Heidi hummed mischievously. "I was going to suggest something too, but I think I like this idea better." She said with a Cheshire cat grin as she, Hange, Petra, Gunther, and Erd closed in to surround Eren, who was now sweating bullets.

"It sure has gotten lively around here." Levi remarked with a creased brow, wiping hand off as he stood next to Auruo while they watched the others yell and chase Eren around the room with the dresses. It was disgusting how sweaty teenaged boys could get.

"Y-Yes, it has, Heichou!" Auruo said a little nervously, though he was happy to have a moment alone with his hero.

"We've had nothing but trouble lately." Levi remarked with an inaudible sigh. "I hope that we can goof off like this again sometime."

"Heichou…" Auruo said, touched. 'You're so kind, Heichou!' He thought, tearing up. 'I'd follow you to the ends of the earth_!_!'

"By the way, Auruo…" Levi said, motioning for him to move closer. "How do you do that trick from earlier?" He asked with a straight face. "You don't how bad it's been bugging me."

"Huh_!_? The ear one_!_?" Auruo asked, flinching in shock. It was one thing for an idiot like Eren not to get it, but… No, Heichou had to be joking! He was definitely joking, right_!_?

"Ah, by the way… There's something that's been bothering me since earlier…" Heidi said as Erd and Gunther held Eren down while Hange struggled to pull the frillier of the two dresses on over his clothes.

"Don't tell me you want to know how I did the ear thing, too…" Auruo asked warily.

"What? No. You obviously faked that by sticking your tongue in your cheek." Heidi retorted matter-of-factly.

"Oh, so that's how he did it…" Levi muttered with a very serious expression. It was kind of disappointing once you knew the answer...

'He was serious about that_!_?' Auruo thought, doing a double-take.

"What did you want to know?" Petra asked curiously.

"Well, didn't you say something about Mr. Auruo being in the same class as you?" Heidi asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Yes, that's right." Petra answered with a nod.

"We graduated when we were your age, but we're both 19 now." Auruo added proudly.

"… Ehhh_!_?" Heidi exclaimed, gaping at him shock.

"Hahaha… He looks a lot older, doesn't he?" Petra said with a wry smile while Auruo sweat-dropped, chagrined. "By the way, Heichou doesn't look it, but he's over thirty."

"Oh, Heichou looks really good for his age." Heidi said with a calm smile. That wasn't nearly as much of a surprise to her, because she was already used to certain people looking much younger than they should… like her grandfather, for one.

_ "Be more surprised, dammit!_!" Auruo snapped indignantly with a vein throbbing on his forehead. What was with that nice smile right after she had just looked at him like he had grown a second head_!_? This brat really knew how to piss him off!


	21. Chapter 21

**Previously:**

"Well, didn't you say something about Mr. Auruo being in the same class as you?" Heidi asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Yes, that's right." Petra answered with a nod.

"We graduated when we were your age, but we're both 19 now." Auruo added proudly.

"… Ehhh_!_?" Heidi exclaimed, gaping at him shock.

"Hahaha… He looks a lot older, doesn't he?" Petra said with a wry smile while Auruo sweat-dropped, chagrined. "By the way, Heichou doesn't look it, but he's over thirty."

"Oh, Heichou looks really good for his age." Heidi said with a calm smile. That wasn't nearly as much of a surprise to her, because she was already used to certain people looking much younger than they should… like her grandfather, for one.

_ "Be more surprised, dammit!_!" Auruo snapped indignantly with a vein throbbing on his forehead. What was with that nice smile right after she had just looked at him like he had grown a second head_!_? This brat really knew how to piss him off!

* * *

**Chapter 21: The 57th Expedition  
**

* * *

Starting the very next day, instead of actual combat, their training consisted mainly of memorizing the expeditionary search formation conceived by Commander Erwin. The new recruits were to be positioned between the transport and search and support squads. They would lead the backup horses and be in charge of relaying messages. However, things were a little different for Eren and Heidi…

"We in the Special Operations Squad will be right here: Line 5, in the center, on standby." Gunther explained, pointing out their position on the diagram.

"That's pretty far back…" Eren remarked.

"Well, this is the safest place in the entire formation. We're going to get more protection than even the supply wagons." Gunther said. "Remember, this short jaunt outside is just a trial run for the real deal, getting you to Shiganshina District. This time our objective is nothing more than to 'go outside the wall and come back alive'."

"…" Eren and Heidi both stared down at the diagram thoughtfully.

'… Is that really all?' She wondered, furrowing her brow slightly. She couldn't quite put her finger on it yet, but something was really bothering her. The way Commander Erwin had revealed so many of what she had thought were supposed to be 'classified' details during his speech was almost like he had been trying to bait someone… And he and Levi Heichou and Squad Leader Hange had been meeting more and more frequently without them… In fact that's where Heichou was right now.

"Um…" Eren said, looking a little uneasy as he glanced at his hand. "I… wasn't told yet what to do with this power of mine, if it becomes necessary… Aren't we getting a little bit ahead of ourselves…?" He asked, concerned.

"… Did either of you understand what the Commander meant by what he asked you back then?" Gunther asked them, referring to the day Sonny and Bean were killed.

"Huh?" Eren said, looking surprised. Heidi furrowed her brow slightly as she thought back.

_Who do you think the enemy is?_

'Could it be…?' Heidi wondered with a frown.

"Did you understand it?" Eren asked the veterans.

"Nope." Erd answered honestly.

"Don't look at me." Auruo told them.

"No." Petra answered.

"I didn't get it at all either." Gunther admitted. "Maybe there's a purpose to this mission apart from just going out and coming back alive. But if so, the Commander has decided that it isn't necessary for it to be explained to the rank and file." He added as he rolled up the map of the formation. "Either way, our duty is merely to head out and come back. Trust the Commander."

"… Yes, sir." Eren and Heidi answered dutifully.

"All right, that's it for today's training." Gunther said. "Let's head back to the castle."

'Trust, huh…' Heidi thought, feeling troubled as she followed the others from behind.

As they came out from putting their horses back in their stalls, Eren and Heidi noticed a crowd of familiar backs standing on the other side of the stables.

"Ah!" Heidi gasped.

"It's them…" Eren said, sharing a look of mild surprise with her. They were herded back to the castle as soon as Commander Erwin finished his speech, so they hadn't gotten a chance to see who was still left on the drill field yesterday. So they did join the Corps…

"Auruo, do you mind if we go talk to our classmates for a bit?" Eren asked as they both stared up at the older man with pleading eyes.

"Tch… Fine, make it quick." Auruo told them, a little unnerved by how much Heidi's cuteness factor had suddenly shot up. Seeing those two monstrously powerful brats trying to act cute was just plain disturbing…

"Hey_!_!" Heidi called out as she and Eren ran over to meet up with their friends for the first time since the Battle of Trost.

"Mikasa! Armin!" Eren shouted.

"_!_!" Mikasa flinched upon hearing his voice and immediately whipped her head around.

"Ah, Eren! Heidi!" Armin said, happy to see them both again.

"It feels like I haven't seen you in ages!" Eren told his old friends.

"For real!" Heidi agreed. "How is every—"

"Eren!" Mikasa said anxiously, cutting her off before she could ask about the others, as she grabbed Eren. "Have they done anything terrible to you? Did they poke around every part of your body? Did they torture you psychologically?" She asked urgently.

"N-No, nothing like that…" Eren said, taken aback. Where did she get these weird ideas…?

"Tch! That twerp's too full of himself… One of these days I'll be sure to give him what he deserves…" Mikasa muttered darkly with a scary look in her eyes.

"You… You're not talking about Levi Heichou, are you…?" Eren asked nervously, eyeing her warily. The last thing they needed was for her to try to pick a fight with him…

'I knew it… She's still furious about the trial…' Heidi thought as a bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face. There were few things more frightening and dangerous in this world than an angry Mikasa.

"Yo, Eren! Heidi!" Connie called out as he and the rest of their classmates came over to join them. Including their circle of friends, twenty-one members of the 104th trainee class had decided to join the Survey Corps.

"Heidiiii_!_!" Sasha cried, glomping the redhead with all her might. "I was so worried I almost couldn't eat!"

"Ahaha… It's been tough on you, huh?" Heidi said with wry smile, sweat-dropping. Sasha was so relieved, that her nose had started to run. "Sorry about disappearing like that…" She apologized. She was really glad to see that they had all survived.

"You guys joined the Survey Corps, too_!_?" Eren asked, surprised to see that almost their entire circle of friends was present. "Then only Annie, Marco, and Jean joined the Military Police? And Peter and the rest joined the Garrison…"

'Good riddance.' Heidi thought, glad to be rid of him. It's not like she wished him dead or anything, but maybe now she could finally have some peace without him there chasing her around all the time. "… Is something wrong?" She asked, concerned when she saw the looks on their friends' faces.

"Marco is dead." Jean announced grimly as he came up behind them.

"Huh_!_?" Heidi gasped as her eyes widened in horror.

"Jean_!_? What are you doing here_!_?" Eren shouted in surprise, freezing when his words sunk in. "Wait a second… What… What did you just say?" He asked numbly as he and Heidi both stared at Jean in shock.

"Did you say… Marco's… dead…?" Heidi asked, stunned, praying they had somehow misheard or misunderstood.

"Apparently, not everyone gets to have a dramatic death." Jean said solemnly. "I don't know what his last moments were like… But he wasn't wearing his 3DMG… He died in some place where no one saw him, and no one knew."

"Ah…" Eren said softly, horrified. No way… He couldn't believe it…

"Marco…" Heidi said sadly, clutching her chest, and closing her eyes tightly as tears began to form in them.

"Eren…" Jean said, stepping closer. "Eren, I heard you tried to kill Mikasa when you transformed into a titan. What the hell was that about?" He asked gravely.

"You're wrong." Mikasa said as everyone who hadn't already known this started to get nervous. "Eren was trying to swat a fly…"

"I'm not asking you." Jean said seriously. "Mikasa, that scar on your cheek looks pretty deep." He told her, pointing to the same spot on his own unmarked face. "When did you get it?"

"!" Mikasa said as she quickly tried to hide it with her hair.

"…!" Eren gasped, disturbed when he realized it must have been his doing. "It seems like it's true… After turning into a titan, I tried to kill Mikasa…" He said regretfully.

"'Seems like?' So you have no memory of it?" Jean asked. "In other words, until now, you had no idea you even possessed this titan power, and have no means of keeping it under control?"

"Yeah… That's about it." Eren answered seriously, sweating nervously. He didn't want to lie to them.

'Eren…' Heidi thought while Jean and everyone else stared at him with grim expressions on their faces. Jean looked down for a moment before turning to face the others.

"Did you hear that, guys?" He asked. "I guess this is where we stand. This is what our lives and the fate of humanity ride on. This is what we'll die for, and like with Marco, Eren probably won't even know about it." He stated somberly.

"…" Eren said, looking down, unable to meet their eyes. He couldn't deny any of it.

"Jean…" Mikasa said sternly. "What good does it do to put Eren on the spot like that?"

"Look, Mikasa… Not everyone here can just go die for Eren without getting anything in return like you, you know." Jean retorted calmly.

"_!_!" Mikasa said, surprised.

"All of us, including Eren, should know… what we'll be giving our lives for." Jean said solemnly. "Otherwise, we might start hesitating at the most crucial moment."

"He's right." Heidi said seriously. "I joined the Special Operations Squad because Eren's my friend, and I wanted to help him… But I joined the Survey Corps for myself. I have other things that I want to protect, too."

"Right." Jean agreed, glad they were on the same page. Everyone had their own circumstances. They all had plenty to live for. "We're seeking something from Eren in return. Please, make sure to be very precise when weighting the worth of your own life against that of all those sacrificed for it." Jean said gravely as he grabbed Eren by the shoulders. "That's what I'm… really asking of you… Please… We're _really_ counting on you!" He said anxiously.

"I… I will…" Eren promised solemnly.

–∞–

Later, as the sun was setting, Heidi and Eren were cleaning out the stables together. They worked quietly without talking. Both of them had a lot to think about.

"I'll go get some more water…" Heidi said when she noticed how dry some of the troughs were.

"Yeah…" Eren responded absently as he continued to rake the manure from one of the stalls.

Heidi had just finished drawing more water from the well when she heard the sound of a galloping horse draw near. She looked up and saw that Levi had returned.

"Ah, Heichou. Welcome back." She greeted him.

"Yeah…" He said as he slowed his horse to a stop and dismounted. "... You smell like horse-shit." He commented with a frown when he got wind of the odor that had permeated her clothing and was now wafting off of her.

"Thank you, sir. That's just what every girl wants to hear." She deadpanned in response as they headed for the stables together. "Heichou, I've been thinking…" Heidi said tentatively, pausing for a moment.

"Sounds dangerous." He responded drolly.

"Only if I'm right." She quipped, letting the sarcasm roll off like water on duck's back. "Heichou, is… is there a fox in the henhouse?" She asked seriously. Levi stopped and glanced back at her.

"Oh, so figured it out after all…" He remarked calmly. Erwin thought she might. "And I suppose you want to know what we plan to do about it?"

"No, it's better if I don't." Heidi answered, surprising him. "I'm not good at lying to people I like, so it's probably better if I don't know too many details... For now, it's enough that I know you have a plan. I trust you, Heichou." She stated solemnly.

"…" Levi stared at her for a moment before turning away and continuing towards the stable with his horse. "All right." He could see from the look in her eyes that she really meant it. She was a good kid. He hoped she wouldn't end up disappointed.

–∞–

One month later, the entire Survey Corps assembled before the outer gates of Karanes District, ready to embark on the 57th expedition. Squad Leaders Hange and Mike were at the very front with Commander Erwin. The Special Operations Squad was placed much further back, near the supply wagons. Heidi's horse fidgeted in place, raring to go.

"Easy, Snee…" She said soothingly, stroking its mane.

"Commander, it's time_!_!" One of the soldiers on the wall shouted. "We've led the nearest titans some distance away! Thirty seconds till the gate opens!"

"This is it_!_! Now the human race takes another step forward_!_!" Squad Leader Darius' deep voice boomed as he rallied the new recruits. "Show us the results of your training_!_!"

"OOOOHHHH_!_!" They roared in response over the rumbling of the opening gate.

"The gate is open_!_! The 57th expedition outside the wall begins now!" Commander Erwin bellowed as he led the charge forward. "Advance_!_!" The trampling of their horses' hooves was like thunder as they all raced out of the gate into the abandoned town on the other side.

"10-meter class titan approaching from the left_!_!" Someone shouted.

"Shit! One got past!" A member of the support squad cursed as he and his partner chased after it. "Defend the line at all costs_!_!" He ordered as they attacked.

"Hnh_!_!" Sasha whimpered as she raced past them, uncomfortably close to the titan.

"Don't flinch_!_!" Her squad leader ordered her. "Trust in the support squad and keep moving forward!"

"Advance_!_! Advance_!_!" Darius ordered the rest of the recruits. A bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of Heidi's face as she kept her eyes on the road ahead of her while she raced alongside Eren and the rest of Squad Levi. The support squad would back them up until they got past the abandoned town. After that, they would reorganize themselves into the Long-Distance Enemy Detection Formation that they had spent the past month learning.

"Auruo! Do you think they… Can our cadet classmates defeat titans?" Eren asked they neared the edge of the town, following the road to the stretch of vast, open land that lay just beyond it.

"!" Heidi said as she gripped the reins a little tighter in her hands.

"Huuh_!_?" Auruo asked incredulously. "What the hell have you been doing this past month_!_? Listen, you little shit… Expeditions outside the wall are all about _not_ engaging the titan—Ngh_!_!" He winced in pain as he bit his tongue again.

"Formation for Long-Distance Enemy Detection! Deploy_!_!_!_" Erwin ordered as soon as everyone was out.

"Eren… I'm worried too, but we need to focus on what we're supposed to be doing right now." Heidi said determinedly once they were safely in place. "Remember, those guys wouldn't be here right now if they hadn't survived the battle at Trost. They know how dangerous titans are now. They know better than to try anything too reckless out here."

"Ah… Yeah, you're right." Eren said tightening his grip on the reins. "Those guys won't die so easily…" Levi was silent as he kept he kept his gaze forward, watching the sky for flares. It would be great if that were true.

About an hour or two later, several green flares were fired to indicate a change in direction.

"Auruo, fire the signal." Levi ordered.

"Roger that, sir!" Auruo answered dutifully, drawing his flare gun.

'It's like there are no titans around at all, even though we're outside the wall… Is it because this is the safest spot in the formation?' Eren wondered as Auruo fired a green flare.

'From here, it appears as if everything is going smoothly…' Heidi thought as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. 'But I wonder if that's really the case? It almost feels like things are _too_ quiet…' Of course, she didn't want anyone to die, but statistically speaking, there were bound to have been victims on the front lines by now… And she knew this mission wasn't as simple as it might it seem on the surface. Heidi was starting to get a bad feeling in her gut…

"I've got a message_!_!" One of the soldiers working the relay shouted as he came galloping towards them. "The right flank lookouts have suffered a devastating blow! The right flank is now blind to enemy movement!" He reported urgently. "Please pass this message on to the squads on your left!"

"!" Heidi gasped, furrowing her brow. The entire flank_!_?

"…" The crease in Levi's brow deepened. So, it had begun. "You heard the man, Petra. Go." He ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Petra answered dutifully, leaving to relay the message immediately.

'The right flank_!_? That's where Armin is…' Eren realized, sweating nervously. 'But I'm sure Armin and the other guys are stationed closer to the center. The titans couldn't have gotten that far in.'

"_!_?" He and Heidi gasped as more flares were fired a distance away on their right.

"A black signal_!_?" Eren cried in alarm, while Heidi furrowed her brow. "A deviant appeared_!_?"

"Eren, you fire it." Levi ordered, forcing him back to attention before he could panic.

"Yes, sir!"

"What a mess…" Levi muttered with a fierce look in his eye. "The formation has been penetrated that deeply?"

'A titan… right over there… Below that flare… are people fighting it right now?' Eren wondered as he drew his flare gun.

'To have already made it so far in… Something tells me this isn't just your average deviant…' Heidi thought worriedly as her eyes trailed from the warning signals in the sky to Eren as he fired another black flare. 'Could it be… Eren isn't the only titan-shifter out there…_!_?' Her eyes widened in shock as all the implications connected to that idea hit her. 'If so, then it would all make sense… The intelligence shown by the Armored and Colossal titans, and the way they were both able to vanish as suddenly as they had appeared… It was because they had gone back to their human forms and blended in with the crowd of evacuees!' If that's the case, then… Those two had been living among them for the past five years! They probably still were, and it was either them, or someone connected to them who had killed Sonny and Bean in order to hinder their efforts to learn more about titans! 'Then the reason they stopped their attack short before breaking Trost's inner gate was…' Her eyes widened in realization as they flicked back to Eren. '… No way… does that mean… Are they coming for Eren_!_?' She looked ahead again, keeping her eyes in front. 'Think, Heidi, think! Like Heichou said before, the commander has obviously already thought several steps ahead, so… Assume he knew they were targeting Eren. If that's the case, then fighting on flat, open land would be a huge disadvantage for us, so why did he order a change in direction away from the next town…? West of here is…' "Oh!" She gasped suddenly, startling Eren and Auruo.

"W-What is it_!_? Don't scare me like that, you shitty brat!" Auruo snapped indignantly.

"Ah…" Heidi said, sweat-dropping as she realized she had just said that out loud. "Sorry, I uh… got lost in thought about how to catch a certain fox…" She apologized a bit lamely, glancing at Levi's back out the corner of her eye, hoping he had understood that.

"Huuh_!_?" Auruo said incredulously. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Aren't you the one who told me to focus earlier_!_?" Eren said pointedly, looking extremely disappointed in her. Their friends could be dying, and she was daydreaming about woodland creatures_!_?

"That's not good, Heidi." Petra scolded her, concerned. "You need to pay attention so you can be ready for anything."

"That's right! This isn't a school field trip!" Gunther barked indignantly, also looking extremely disappointed and unimpressed.

"Rookies…" Erd said with a sigh.

"Ugh…" Heidi groaned as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She knew what it must look like from their perspective, but did they all have to gang up on her like that?

'Sounds like she figured something out…' Levi thought, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead as they continued west.


	22. Chapter 22

**Previously:**

"Ah…" Heidi said, sweat-dropping as she realized she had just said that out loud. "Sorry, I uh… got lost in thought about how to catch a certain fox…" She apologized a bit lamely, glancing at Levi's back out the corner of her eye, hoping he had understood that.

"Huuh_!_?" Auruo said incredulously. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Aren't you the one who told me to focus earlier_!_?" Eren said pointedly, looking extremely disappointed in her. Their friends could be dying, and she was daydreaming about woodland creatures_!_?

"That's not good, Heidi." Petra scolded her, concerned. "You need to pay attention so you can be ready for anything."

"That's right! This isn't a school field trip!" Gunther barked indignantly, also looking extremely disappointed and unimpressed.

"Rookies…" Erd said with a sigh.

"Ugh…" Heidi groaned as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She knew what it must look like from their perspective, but did they all have to gang up on her like that?

'Sounds like she figured something out…' Levi thought, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead as they continued west.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Forest of Giant Trees  
**

* * *

"Heichou! Levi Heichou!" Eren shouted anxiously as they galloped at a break-neck pace down the wide path through the forest of giant trees that they had followed the rest of the center column into.

"What?" Levi asked shortly.

"'What'_!_? Sir, this is the forest!" Eren exclaimed worriedly. "With just the central column here, we can't detect approaching titans! And something's coming on our right flank… Sir, how are we supposed to avoid the titans and protect the wagons under these circumstances_!_?"

"Stop whining about the obvious." Levi told him. "There's no way we can do that anymore."

"What_!_?" Eren said, alarmed. "Th-Then why…_!_?"

"Look around you, Eren. These pointlessly big-ass trees… are the perfect environment to make use of our 3DMG. Now think." Levi ordered. "Put that mediocre brain of yours to use. Think hard. Your life depends on it."

"…" Eren stared at their leader's back, stunned.

'It's not just the advantage it'll give us with the 3DMG…' Heidi thought, furrowing her brow, as she glanced around. She'd visited this tourist spot with her family in the past, so she knew that this was the best place to play a game of hide-and-seek. The best thing about these trees being so absurdly tall and wide was that they wouldn't just block their field of vision, but the titans' as well. It would be much harder for them to see ahead with all these trees in the way, which meant… 'Commander Erwin must have brought us here for an ambush!' Heidi tightened her grip on the reins nervously. As she thought, this was the reason they had headed west. Still, this was a huge gamble… Like Eren said, they were flying blind in here. There was no guarantee they wouldn't get caught or killed before Erwin could enact his plan.

'I see… I don't understand the situation, because I'm a rookie. I guess he won't just give me the answer because I need to learn on my own…' Eren thought as a bead of nervous sweat dripped down the side of his face. He couldn't see Heidi's face because she was in front of him, but he was sure she must be as confused as he was. 'I bet they learned how to fight the same way…' He thought, glancing at Auruo, who was riding right alongside him. His eyes widened when he saw how unnerved the older man was.

"What the hell's with this…? Don't fuck with me… what the shit's going on_!_?" Auruo muttered nervously under his breath just loud enough for Eren to hear. Eren immediately whipped his head around to look at the rest of the veterans. Just like Auruo, they all looked like they were scared shitless. 'Wait a second…! Don't tell me… Is it possible that _no one_… knows what's going on_!_?' Eren wondered, breaking out into a cold sweat. 'Maybe… not even Levi Heichou…'

_WHOOM!_

"_!_?" Everyone gasped when they head a loud crashing sound echo through the forest.

"W-What was that noise…_!_?" Petra asked anxiously.

_WHOOM!_

"It came from right behind us_!_!" Auruo yelled.

"Was it that thing on the right flank…?" Erd asked.

"…" Eren and Heidi said, sweating nervously as they looked back in the direction the sound was coming from. It was coming… Whatever it was would be right on top of them in a matter of minutes!

"Everyone…" Levi said firmly, focusing their attention back on him. "Draw your blades." He ordered, arming himself as they continued forward. "If it shows itself… it'll be only for a moment." The others immediately followed suit, and not a moment too soon.

_FWOOOOM!_

The thing pursuing them suddenly appeared right behind them as it jumped onto the road from the side, closing in fast.

"_!_?" Heidi gasped in surprise as her eyes widened. A _female_ titan…_!_?

"Oh shit…" Gunther cursed. "We can't get away just galloping straight through the forest!"

"It's fast_!_! It's gonna catch us_!_!" Erd shouted.

"Heichou_!_! Let's switch to 3DMG_!_!" Petra yelled anxiously. Levi raised his sword slightly, preparing to give his next order, when two soldiers flew in from the rear on 3DMG.

"_!_!" Eren gasped.

"Reinforcements from behind!" Petra announced. They all watched as both soldiers fired a grapping hook into the base of the female titan's neck. The titan glanced at them out the corner of her eyes and immediately reacted by reaching up and protecting the nape of her neck with one hand while leaning closer to the nearest tree coming up on her right so she could squash one soldier like a bug against the tree with her sholder, then reached out and grabbed the other with her hand and squeezed, crushing their spine and internal organs before smearing them against a tree as she continued forward. It was over in an instant. Squad Levi stared at the monster chasing them in horror. That thing was no ordinary titan. It obviously possessed in intelligence, and it was killing humans as easily as if it were merely swatting some flies. Levi narrowed his eyes and glared at fiercely it. _That thing was going to pay._

_"Heichou! Orders!_?" Petra screamed.

"Let's do it!" Auruo shouted nervously. "That thing's really dangerous! We should kill it!"

"I'm gonna turn it into mincemeat…" Erd growled angrily despite his fear. Heidi grit her teeth and raised her sword slightly, ready to move if given the order.

'Fool! You ran straight into hell…!' Eren thought vindictively as he glared up at the female titan. 'You're chasing a group of elite titan killers!' He looked ahead to Levi, but the order to attack never came. "_!_?" He gasped, startled and confused. "Levi Heichou_!_?"

"Give us your orders_!_!" Auruo yelled anxiously.

"Everyone, cover your ears." Levi ordered as he drew his flare gun. Heidi immediately did so as he pulled the trigger, and was soon very glad that she had.

_SCREEEEEEEEEEE!_!

Even those who had their ears covered winced at the ear-piercing screech that filled the air, echoing through the forest.

"…_!_" Eren gasped, furrowing his brow in confusion. "A sound grenade_!_?"

'Why would he…? I see!' Heidi thought as her eyes widened slightly in realization. It must be some kind of signal for the ambush! This isn't just about overwhelming it with force. The reason why he hadn't ordered them to attack must be because they wanted to capture it alive!

"… What's your job?" Levi asked them as the ringing subsided. "Was it to simply succumb to your emotions? I don't think so. No, this squad's mission is to keep that piss-poor brat from getting so much as a scratch." He reminded them sternly as he spared a glance back at them, referring to Eren. "Even if it costs us our lives."

"…" Heidi furrowed her brow and set her jaw as she stared back at him determinedly. They all had a much better look in their eyes now.

'They weren't assigned to keep tabs on me…?' Eren thought, surprised.

"We'll depend on the horses from here on." Levi told them firmly. "Got that?"

"Roger!" Petra and Heidi answered.

"_!_?" Eren gasped. "Huh…_!_? Depend on…? How far…_!_? That thing's right behinds us!" He yelled, panicking. "_!_!" He gasped when more soldiers flew up to attack the titan from behind. "Again…_!_? Another group of backup_!_! Hurry_!_!" He yelled, looking back. "If we don't help, they'll be crushed, too!"

"Eren_!_! Face forward!" Gunther shouted sternly.

"Gunther_!_?"

"Stop screwing up the pace_!_!" Erd yelled. "Keep going at full speed!"

"…_!_?" Eren gasped. "Erd_!_! But why…_!_?" He demanded incredulously. "Who can stop that thing other than Squad Levi_!_?" Eren gasped again when the female titan squashed another soldier. "Another one dead_!_! We could've saved him…!" He glanced around at the others, but despite the horrified looks on their faces, they remained silent. Even Heidi. "… There's still one more fighting!" He said earnestly. "If we go now… There's still time to help! Heidi, if you go berserk—" Something warm and wet hit his cheek. Eren's eyes widened as he looked more closely at the back of the girl in front of him, and he realized something. Heidi was crying. He had never seen that before. No matter how tough things got, she never shed a single tear. But now, they were streaming down her face while she grit her teeth and gripped her reins so tightly that her nails were beginning to draw blood from the palms of her hands as she continued to push forward with the others. She was crying because she knew that no matter what happened, they couldn't stop.

"Eren! Face forward and keep moving_!_!" Petra yelled. Couldn't he see from the way Heidi was trembling how hard it was for the girl to control herself without him yelling at her_!_?

"Are you telling me to close my eyes to the desperate battle happening behind us_!_? To leave our comrades to die and run for my life_!_?" Eren shouted incredulously.

"Yes, that's right!" She yelled back determinedly. "Follow Heichou's orders!"

"I don't understand why we have to leave our fellow soldiers_!_!_!_" Eren yelled furiously. "And I don't understand why nobody will explain the reason_!_!"

"It's 'cause Heichou decided he didn't need to explain_!_!" Auruo shouted. "You can't understand because you're a rookie! If you get it now, shut your mouth and obey! Leave Heidi alone, she's just doing what she's supposed to!" Eren grit his teeth as he looked back at the battle behind them. He couldn't accept that.

'He's still fighting! All alone…' Eren thought as he watched. 'Wait… I can fight alone just fine, too, can't I…?' He realized. 'Why am I always turning to other people for help? I should just fight myself…'

"Eren_!_? What are you doing_!_?" Petra asked, startled when he raised his hand to bite it, making him stop short. "That's only allowed when your life is in danger! You promised, remember_!_?" Eren stared at her for a moment, then prepared to carry through with it anyway.

"Eren." Levi said firmly, making him freeze in his tracks. "You're not wrong." He stated seriously with a grim expression on his face as he continued to look forward. "If you want to do it, go ahead."

"!" Heidi gasped, surprised.

"Heichou_!_?" Petra cried.

"I know." Levi continued calmly. "This guy's a real monster. And it has nothing to do with his titan power. No matter how much anyone tries to suppress him, no matter how strong the cage he's placed in, no one can subjugate his will." He had picked up on that very clearly during their first encounter in the jail under the courthouse. "Eren, the difference between our judgment and yours is_ experience_. Heidi has already chosen to place her trust in that, but… it doesn't mean you have to." He said, glancing back at them. "Make your choice…" He told Eren. "Either believe in yourself... or believe in me and them, the Survey Corps. I don't know the answer." He said solemnly as he faced forward again. "I never have. Whether you trust in your own strength, or trust in the choices made by reliable comrades… no one knows what the outcome will be. That's why the best you can do is to make your choice with no regrets. As much as can… choose whatever you'll regret the least."

'Heichou…' Heidi thought sadly, sensing that he was speaking from his own painful experience of losing someone important. Eren stared at Levi's back for a moment before glancing back at the soldier who was still fighting the female titan. He furrowed his brow in determination and raised his hand again. Heidi gripped her sword as she watched, preparing to back him up if he needed her. She wanted to believe in Levi Heichou and the others, but she wouldn't abandon Eren if he chose to stay and fight. Levi didn't have to look to know what she was doing. He knew she couldn't turn her back on a friend. But he planned to do the same. No matter what happened, it was their job to protect Eren. Whatever actions they took next were tied to his choice.

"Eren!" Petra said anxiously as he prepared to bite down. _"Trust us."_ She pleaded earnestly. Eren froze and his eyes widened slightly as they fell on the scar on her hand that was still left from when she and the others had bitten their hands when they apologized and asked him to rely on them. Eren whipped his head around to look back at the soldier who was still risking his life to protect them.

"Ah…_!_!" Eren grit his teeth in frustration. What should he do_!_? What should he—

"Eren! There's no time_!_!" Levi shouted sternly. "Choose now_!_!" Eren grit his teeth so tightly, they were in danger cracking.

"I'll keep going with you_!_!" He shouted finally, making his decision. The others stared at him in surprise, but looked a little relieved to know they had finally earned his trust, and to finally know that they could trust him.

"UWAAAH_!_!" Their eyes widened in horror as the soldier behind them screamed. _"Let goooo—!_!"

_PSHT!_

"_!_!" Eren and Heidi gasped, squeezing their eyes shut at the sickening sound of bones breaking and flesh grating. Just like that, another soldier was dead.

"… Ngh…" Eren grit his teeth as cold sweat poured down the sides of his face. "I'm sorry…" He apologized to the dead soldier as they continued forward. _I'm sorry…_

With nothing left to hinder her, the female titan suddenly changed her posture and lunged forth, charging after them with even greater speed.

"Target is accelerating_!_!" shouted Gunther.

"Full speed ahead_!_!" Levi ordered urgently. "Keep running as fast as you can_!_! We'll get away_!_!"

'Impossible…' Eren thought as they ran, looking back at the female titan out the corner of his eye. 'Get away…? If we keep going like this, she's gonna overtake us from behind, and then we'll all be crushed underfoot…! … But…' he thought, looking ahead again. '… Even though it looks like we're gonna die… even though it meant letting our comrades die… Everyone chose to keep going. Levi Heichou keeps looking straight ahead. And the others are too, even Heidi… They believe in Heichou. They trust him with their lives. Why… Why did I choose _this!_? I might've been able to save them… I left them to die! I… I…' Eren's eyes widened. 'That's it… It's because… I wanted…'

"Heichou!" Petra yelled anxiously as the pursuing titan closed in. Heidi grit her teeth, sweating bullets, as her pupil's constricted in fear.

"Keep going_!_!" Levi shouted earnestly. Heidi quickly pulled herself together and tightened her grip on the reins.

'… something new to rely on… something to believe in… like I did when we were them…' Eren thought, picturing the rest of their friends in his mind. 'I'm sick of… being treated like a monster. I've had enough… of being shunned… so…' Eren looked up as a shadow fell over him '… I just wanted to think…' The female titan was now looming right above him as she stepped over him. The shadow of her raised foot was over Heidi. Her eyes widened. '… that I should believe in my comrades…' Eren stared in horror as the female titan reached for him, and lowered her foot '… because it's easier that way.'

_CRASH!_

In the same instant Heidi's horse was flattened, through their shock and horror, they all became of several things: 1) They were suddenly surrounded by Survey Corp members hidden in the trees; 2) several supply wagons had been modified and set up to fire some kind of explosives towards the path; 3) Heidi had survived by jumping from her horse at the last second, and was now clinging to the side of a tree.

Her eyes widened when she saw the modified carts, and she quickly shot up out of their firing range just as the rest of Squad Levi entered the clear.

"FIRE_!_!" Erwin commanded fiercely.

_FWOOM!_!_ WHOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_!

"Huh_!_?" Eren exclaimed, startled and bewildered. What just…_!_? What did they fire? It was hard to tell with all the flashes and smoke, but whatever it was, it seemed to have worked, because the titan was no longer chasing them.

"Tether the horses up ahead, then switch to 3DMG." Levi ordered. "This time I'll be taking action separately from the rest of you. Erd's in command while I'm gone." He activated his 3DMG and fire a grappling hook. "Hide Eren a safe distance away from that titan. And take care of my horse." He added as he rappelled into the air. Is that clear?"

"Huh_!_?" Eren said as their fearless leader flew back in the direction they had just come from. "No way… The plan was to take that titan alive_!_?" Looking back now, through the clearing smoke, he could see a myriad of strong cables piercing the titan's body, holding it firmly in place.

Heidi shuddered as she watched them fire another a round. That had been way, way too close for comfort. But then she also exhaled a deep sigh of relief, thrilled to still be alive and in one piece.

"Looks like it stopped moving." Levi remarked as he landed on the tree next to Erwin.

"We can't let our guard down yet." Erwin told him. "I'm impressed you managed to lead it all the way here."

"It's all thanks to the squad behind us, who gave up their lives fighting to buy us enough time. We couldn't have done it without them." Levi answered.

"I see…" said Erwin.

"Yeah… Thanks to them, we'll get to meet whoever's hiding inside the nape of this one's neck." Levi said as they stared down at the captured titan with grim expression. "I hope whoever it is hasn't pissed themselves…"


	23. Chapter 23

**Previously:**

"Huh_!_?" Eren said as their fearless leader flew back in the direction they had just come from. "No way… The plan was to take that titan alive_!_?" Looking back now, through the clearing smoke, he could see a myriad of strong cables piercing the titan's body, holding it firmly in place.

Heidi shuddered as she watched them fire another a round. That had been way, way too close for comfort. But then she also exhaled a deep sigh of relief, thrilled to still be alive and in one piece.

"Looks like it stopped moving." Levi remarked as he landed on the tree next to Erwin.

"We can't let our guard down yet." Erwin told him. "I'm impressed you managed to lead it all the way here."

"It's all thanks to the squad behind us, who gave up their lives fighting to buy us enough time. We couldn't have done it without them." Levi answered.

"I see…" said Erwin.

"Yeah… Thanks to them, we'll get to meet whoever's hiding inside the nape of this one's neck." Levi said as they stared down at the captured titan with grim expression. "I hope whoever it is hasn't pissed themselves…"

* * *

**Chapter 23: Erwin Smith  
**

* * *

"Um, Heichou, What should I…?" Heidi asked, wondering whether she should leave and catch up to the others or not.

"Stay here." Erwin ordered her, signaling for Levi and Mike to move into position. "We don't have any extra horses at the moment, and we may need you here." This was their first time attempting to capture a titan shifter. He wasn't taking any chances. "Hange, fire!"

"Hmph_!_!" Hange yanked the cord and fired another round of restraints at the captured titan.

_WHOOM!_

"How's that? Now you won't even be able to scratch yourself if you've got an inch!" she told it. "You can't move a muscle and likely won't be able to ever again. It's rigged to tighten your joints as your wounds close!" She let out an excited laugh. "But it seems… That's still not enough to make the important person inside show us their face, huh? What on earth are Levi and Mike doing?" But as she said this, the two men swung into view and hurled themselves towards the back of the titan's neck, which was being shielded by her hands. But it didn't matter. They were going to use all their strength to cut through. Sensing her impending doom, the titan twitched.

"!" Heidi gasped when a shiny, crystalline coating suddenly formed on its hands just as Levi Heichou and Squad Leader Mike's blades came in contact with the back of them. Her eyes widened as their blades snapped in half against it. Levi furrowed his brow and grit his teeth in frustration with a dark look in his eye. He landed near Heidi, and Mike landed near Erwin. Mike held his broken blades up to show the commander and shook his head.

'Looks like she has the ability to cover parts of her body with a hard layer of skin.' Erwin thought grimly as he stared down at the female titan. 'This characteristic is strongly reminiscent of the Armored Titan I've heard about.' He noticed some of the shell around her hands was starting to crumble. 'But unlike the Armored Titan, it seems she can't maintain the solidity of her skin for long. Will she weaken if we keep attacking her with 3DMG? Ordinarily there would be no time to test it, but…' He glanced at Heidi. "Heidi, try breaking through. Levi, follow behind her in case she succeeds." He ordered. With her berserkergang, it just might be possible.

"Heidi." Levi said as the crease in his brow deepened. They both knew what Erwin wanted.

"It's all right, Heichou." She said determinedly as her pupils constricted and then dilated. "After everything that's happened… I can't be the only one playing it safe." He nodded in understanding, and they quickly moved into position. Heidi's attack was swift, but instead of spinning to the side and slicing like Levi and Mike, she flipped head-over-heel and stabbed her blades straight into the shielded hands with so much force that her blades cracked and splintered into small flecks as they ground against the crystal until it finally cracked just enough to let what was left of them slide in; and she fired a grappling hook into the back of the titan's skull, pulling herself up as she kept what was left of her blades dug in to the flesh of its, gritting her teeth against the severe effort of dragging them up enough to expose the nape of the titan's neck. Levi was on it in an instant. The titan's pupil constricted in shock, and she quickly formed another shield over the nape of her neck. Once again, Levi's blades snapped and broke in half uselessly against it, and he was only just barely able to get out of the way as the remains of Heidi's weakened blades broke off inside the titan's hands, and they snapped back into place over the nape of her neck. With the tension broken, Heidi felt herself being yanked hard towards the titan's head, but she was quickly grabbed and redirected by Levi before she could crash into its skull, and they both landed safely on top of the titan's blonde head. Erwin raised his hand and signaled for their demolitions expert.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get some explosives ready to blow off the target's hands." Erwin ordered.

"Yes, sir. But… there's the possibility that the force of the blast will also blow up the person on the inside."

"In that case, try placing the explosives farther back so that they sever her wrists." Erwin said. "Then, at my signal, detonate all of the charges simultaneously."

"Roger!" the demolitions expert said, moving to carry out his orders.

"Heidi, deactivate and fall back." Levi ordered when he saw what they were doing.

"What about Heichou?" Heidi asked, furrowing her brow slightly in concern.

"I'll be fine. And anyway, what we're doing next will require a surgeon's precision." He answered calmly as he ejected his broken blades and reloaded with new ones, but there was a cold and murderous look in his eyes as he stared down at the titan they were standing on.

"… Understood." Heidi said, taking a moment to calm herself and come out of her berserker mode before maneuvering to a safer location, out of his way.

"Hey, why don't you give us a break and come out already? We don't have all day, you know." Levi told it sternly. "What do you think is going to happen? You really believe you can get yourself out of this situation? I wish you'd consider what a pain in the ass this is for us. Now we have to keep thinking up ways to drag you out of there. You've murdered my subordinates in lots of ways, haven't you? Was it fun? Did you enjoy it? Well, now _I'm _enjoying _this_. And you're the same, right? I think you, of all people, can understand what I'm feeling." He said darkly. "Oh, yeah… there's something I wanted to ask. Are you all right with having your hands and feet cut off? They'll just grow back, right? I mean your real hands and feet. We can't afford to have you dying on us." The titan's eyes trembled slightly in fear. Levi heard a sharp hiss like a deep and sudden intake of breath. "!" His eyes widened as it opened its mouth and let out a shrill, roaring cry.

_"RYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_!_!_" The female titan's scream was so powerful, it caused a strong gust that that nearly knocked everyone backwards as they raised their hands to cover their ears.

"…" Hange stared up at the titan as it fell silent, stunned.

"What was that, a death throe?" Moblit asked.

"… You bitch… you really startled me there." Levi said as he lowered his hands.

"Get out of there, Heichou! It's dangerous_!_!" Heidi shouted anxiously, surprising him. Her eyes were wide, and she looked scared. Mike's nose twitched when he caught another scent approaching.

"What are you talking about?" Levi asked as the crease in his brow deepened. "You know it can't move."

"I… It's instinct! It feels like the end of a hunt." Heidi said earnestly. "Something tells me we have to be careful—a hundred times more careful!"

'An emotional outcry? If it was, does that mean she's given up? Or is she up to something?' Erwin wondered. Heidi's reaction worried him. If her instincts were as sharp as her father's, then…

"Erwin!" Mike said urgently, landing right next to the commander. "I smell them coming!"

"What direction?" Erwin asked.

"There's scores coming from _all_ directions! All at once!" Mike answered gravely. Erwin's eyes widened.

"Set the charges _now_!" He ordered immediately.

"Erwin! The ones coming from the east are almost here!" Mike exclaimed.

_"Transport escort squad! Intercept and destroy!_!" Erwin ordered. The corpsmen guarding the wagons instantly sprang into action, heading straight for the incoming titans.

_"!_?" They gasped in shock when every single one of the titans ran straight past them. "They _ignored_ us_!_? Are they deviants_!_?"

"Three titans have broken through_!_!"

"Hey, you bitch… You fuckin' did something after all, didn't you_!_?" Levi said, stomping repeatedly on the female titan's head.

"Levi Heichou!" Heidi and the others shouted as the approaching titans closed in on him. He quickly fired a grappling hook and reeled himself in, swinging out of the reach of the first one's mouth, then launched himself off a tree round to the slice the back of its neck, and propelled himself forward to finish off the second one in the shape of a sharp S-curve. The third, much smaller one, lunged forward as the others fell and grabbed onto the female titan, chomping down on her leg.

"_!_?" Erwin said, startled. 'They're coming after the female_!_?' Heidi, who had already launched herself forward to aid Levi, quickly changed directions and took the third one out before it could do any more damage. 'Don't tell me…'

"Titans are coming from every direction_!_!" someone shouted.

_"All squads, engage!_!" Erwin yelled. "Defend the Female Titan to the death_!_!"

_"!_?" Everyone gasped, immediately flying in to protect the female as the other titans swarmed and surrounded her. They all fought like hell, but there were too many titans, and too few of them. No matter how many they killed, more came and broke through their defenses, biting and tearing at the female titan's flesh. One of the titans managed to rip off a whole arm, while another tore off the top half of her head. Levi and Heidi were fiercely defending the nape of the female's neck, but it wasn't enough, even with all the members of every squad present backing them up. Erwin knew it was only a matter of time before… He closed his eyes tightly and gave a new order.

"All squads, pull back_!_!_!_"

_FWOOOOSH!_

Everyone immediately got the heck out of dodge before they were completely overwhelmed. The order had come just in the nick of time. Many of them were out of breath and almost completely exhausted from fighting such a fierce and frantic battle.

"Hey… Erwin!" Levi said as he and Heidi landed on the tree the commander was standing on, covered in splashes of steaming titan blood.

"She got us." Erwin said as he watched the carnage happening below. Heidi's eyes widened slightly when she saw the expression on his face, feeling a little unnerved.

"That's some ugly mug you're showing…" Levi told him, wiping off some of the blood on his face. "Why the hell are you smiling?" They just failed miserably.

"The enemy was prepared to give up everything." Said Erwin seriously with a slightly manic gleam in his eye. "I never imagined that she would have the titans devour her… for the sake of erasing all the information we seek to obtain…" The head and neck were completely gone, and there wasn't much left of the rest of the female titan's body. It was now almost completely stripped of flesh, and the skeleton was already starting to crumble and evaporate into steam. Everyone was tired from the battle. They should all move before the titans lost interest in it and turned their attention back onto them. "All troops, retreat_!_!" He ordered. "Get to your horses while the titans are focused on her remains! We're leaving all the wagons behind! Head west once you're out of the forest, and get back in formation! We're returning to the Karanes District_!_!" Everyone else immediately started moving to carry out his orders, but Levi lingered to have a word; and since he didn't move, neither did Heidi.

"What a mess… And right after my outburst at the hearing, this is what happens… Heavy losses and nothing useful gained." Levi said grimly. "I wonder what they'll do to us and Eren when we stroll back through the gate after a failure like this?"

"…" Heidi furrowed her brow and frowned with concern as she listened.

"We'll think about that after we get back." Said Erwin. "Right now, we have to focus on returning safely without incurring any further casualties. At least for now…"

"Um, Heichou," Heidi said tentatively, getting his attention, "What should I do? I don't have a horse any more."

"You'll have to ride on the back of mine for now." Levi told her. "We might be able to find you a spare horse once we rejoin the rest of the formation."

'The steam from the corpse is affecting visibility… It could interfere with the signal flares, too…' Erwin thought as they talked, keeping his eyes on the scene of carnage below. "…!" he gasped as something startling suddenly occurred to him.

"I'm going to call my squad back." Levi told him, getting ready to leave. He hoped they hadn't gone too far. "Come on, Heidi."

"Yes, sir." She answered dutifully, preparing to follow him.

"Wait, Levi. Heidi, too." Erwin said, stopping them. "Go refill your gas tanks and get new blades first."

"There's no time." Levi said. "I think we have enough to last… Why are you saying this?"

"It's an order." Erwin told him. There wasn't enough time to explain. "Do it." Levi glanced back at him and saw the look in the commander's eyes.

"… Yes, sir." He said. "I'll trust your judgment on this one. Let's go, Heidi."

"Roger." Heidi said, leaving hurriedly with him to resupply.


End file.
